Beauty and the Beast
by Hione
Summary: The fairy tales continue! Karasu tells his twin girls the story of Beauty and the Beast where he himself is "beauty" and the fox demon Yoko is the "beast." But what happens when there are TWO beauties, and one is a real b*%&h?
1. Cleaning up the Castle

-*~^~*- Beauty and the Beast 3 -*~^~*-

-*~^~*- Part One -*~^~*-

"Alright girls, what story would you like?" Karasu smiled to his and Kurama's twins while he pulled back the sheets to their bed. Since the first bedtime story with his little girls, they'd been begging for other tales. It took them a while to work him down, but after the twins refused to talk for three days, Karasu was obliged to tell them a little tale.

Kurisha, the eldest, hopped up onto the bed and stood there, smiling at him. "We've been diguessing what you should tell us an we've reached an agreenant!"

"I think you mean "discussing" and "agreement" but I'll let that slide because you're cute." Karasu laughed and hefted Hione up onto the bed as well. "And? What is the verdict?"

"Beauty and the Beast!" The twins chorused, and Hione quickly added, "But YOU have ta be Beauty."

"…. You're kidding, right?" He looked between the two and found, to his horror, that they were serious. "Me? Why not Kurama? He was the "princess" in the last one."

"Exactly! Momma's always acting like a girl in real life!" Kurisha protested.

"Well that's because your mother IS a girl!" Karasu whispered back.

"I heard that." Kurama hummed and entered the room to gather their laundry. "And actually, perhaps it would be a great idea, Karasu. You would make a lovely Princess." With a smirk, the redhead quickly exited the room, giving his partner no chance to object.

Helplessly, Karasu glanced down to his girls. "…. Me? But how can I…."

"You'll think of something!" Hione flopped back onto her pillows and grinned. "Now start! Story! Now!" Kurisha giggled and flopped next to her sister. Both of them stared Karasu down, waiting patiently for him to begin the story.

Nibbling his lip in thought, the raven stood to pace about the room. To be honest he wasn't quite sure how to pull off the story. The only reason Beauty was accepted into the castle was because she was a woman—and he'd be damned if he gave himself a sex change, even for a fairy tale! But… if there were TWO beauties…

With a smile, Karasu turned to the twins and clapped his hands together. "Alright, I think I might have it. So I have to be Beauty and your mother has to be the Beast, eh? Should be easy enough…"

Once upon a time, in a faaaaaaar away land, there lived a handsome king. Although the king was beautiful, with long silver hair and pale cream-like skin, the king had a cold and dark heart. King Yoko was selfish, crude, and had little patience for anyone.

His servants even hated him. His subjects found no kind word to utter about their king. Not that king Yoko would listen anyway, he was only absorbed in his own personal matters, for he never cared about anyone else. He never gave thanks, never had a friend, and never loved.

On King Yoko's eighteenth birthday there came a visitor, a sweet old woman garbed in rags and barely able to move from hunger. She offered him one wish, in hopes that she might be able to eat and rest in his large home.

Naturally, the selfish king refused, doubting that a hobbled old woman could grant wishes. He had everything he wanted anyway.

But, as soon as he closed the door on her, his castle grew dark. The woman could be heard from outside, her voice angered; "For your selfishness, I curse you with the image of a beast! You will live here alone, as a monster, until the day that you might find someone capable of loving the horrid creature you are inside…"

The servants ran, frightened that the woman's words were true. Yoko was turned into a monster and even angrier than before.

Years passed and the castle remained abandoned. Travelers avoided the area and eventually it became over-grown in moss and various flowers. Everyone just viewed the castle as cursed ruins and passed by—King Yoko remained there alone.

"And they say you can hear the beast howling with loneliness in the dead of night!"

"Yes, well I hope I never have to hear or see the beast." Karasu smiled warmly to his friend Botan and passed her a few coins in return for a loaf of bread. "I'd rather not be eaten."

Botan took the money but placed her hands to her hips in full huff. "You don't believe me, do you? Honestly! It's all true, I swear on my grandmother's grave!"

"Your grandmother's still alive, Botan!" Karasu laughed and turned away. "Thank you again! I'll see you tomorrow!"

Now, unlike most "Beauties" told in all of the stories, Karasu wasn't a very glamorous individual. He wasn't even a woman, which was pretty strange on its own. He also had very few friends, mostly due to his intimidating nature. Women seemed to adore him, but with Karasu towering at a good six feet and some odd inches, they were mostly afraid of him. It wasn't so much his height, but really a combination of all his outstanding traits. The raven preferred night-time outings to normal day-light hours; he had flowing black hair that reflected a deep blue in the sun, and his eyes shown the most beautiful violet shade. The best way to describe the man was "eerie as a vampire"—which most of the villagers commonly stated.

Karasu didn't really mind, however, as long as the villagers left him be. In fact, the only real thing he had in common with the other beauties was his generous and kind heart. (This was mostly kept secret. A man needs his image, of course.)

Naturally, every Beauty has a father, and ours for this story is Sakyo. Sakyo was a very quiet man and difficult to approach. Usually occupied with distant thoughts, he would completely ignore someone until they spoke of something more along his unique tastes; mainly, gore-themed conversation. Sakyo owned the local morgue and spent most of his time weaving through catacombs—not very becoming for the father of a Beauty, yet Karasu wouldn't have his father any other way.

Their home was fairly modest, albeit run-down in some areas, but the two liked it just fine. What with the creepers along the brick walls, bats flitting from the chimney, and the vast graveyard behind the building—what wasn't there to love?

The raven paused for a moment to marvel at his home before he opened the gates to the main entrance. Calmly, he glided over the walkway and to the front door where he was met with an annoyed scream from inside. "… I wonder what it is _this_ time…" He sighed and entered the rugged home.

Now, for normal people, their house would be…. Well, straight up disturbing. Among the various coffins and crucifixes scattered around the house there were also the occasional limbs and organs placed carelessly on table-tops. Several bottles of embalming fluids were left in cabinets, all of them containing a white-powdered handprint since the last time they were used. Almost every corner of the house had spider-webs fanned over the crevices and occasionally a rat or so would jump onto the table to nibble at an organ.

The strange part about this—most of this mess was done in _one day._ Sakyo really was the destructive type. Karasu didn't know how the man would survive if he went away without him. The house would probably be destroyed, no doubt. Filled to the brim with corpses—who knows?

While Karasu didn't really mind his father's line of work, he much preferred that the man keep these horrendous things in his study, not in the main hall. What would visitors say? Honestly!

"Father!" The man cried out and furiously kicked a rat to the side. He heard a shuffle from the room to his left and paced inside, holding the loaf of bread to his chest. Sakyo was hunched over a coffin, grumbling about the size of it and wondering why there wasn't a body lying inside. Karasu stood behind him, scowling. "WHAT the HELL did you DO?"

Sakyo tensed for a bit then glanced over his shoulder, cracking a tiny smile. "There was a train wreck… this morning… fifteen bodies! Oh, but one's missing… or did I already prepare it?" He frowned at the coffin again. "I honestly don't remember…"

"… I think you need a vacation…" Karasu sighed mournfully, eying the back of his father's head. "It seems you've become… detached. Just a bit." True, Sakyo had always been a creeper, fawning over dead bodies and bloody remains, but he used to be much more cheerful about his work. Since Karasu's mother died the man was a bit more distraught. He hardly ate, slept, or even breathed without it having something to do with his work. But of course, too much death for a person starts to take its toll on their minds. "Really, lets go somewhere," Karasu hummed while he laid the bread on a powdered and bloody table. "I hear the beach is fine this time of year…. Or a lake? Hell, maybe into town? You need to take a break from…. This." He gestured to a few of the coffins; some of them were for children, Sakyo's least favorite ones.

It took him a moment, but after a while the older man gave a small nod and rose to his feet. "Yes… yes, sure… a break…. You know, one of the men in the wreck had almost ALL of his bones broken! The major ones, anyway. Skull, femur… spine!" He added with a cackle.

This last bit of mirth made Karasu frown. Yes, it was time for his father to take a break. Maybe a more permanent one this time.

After ushering Sakyo off to his room, Karasu quickly set off to clean the house. This extra time also allowed him to contemplate on the best vacation for them both. Naturally, neither liked being in the sun too much, so his out-door suggestions were brushed aside. The Summer light would be far too murderous on their pale, sun-deprived skin as well. It was also best that they might go somewhere secluded, just so Sakyo could have a chance to relax before mingling in with people again. "Hmm…. A cabin might be…" Karasu smiled and gently brushed what looked like a liver into the waste bin he held under his arm. "Mother had a cabin just out in the country…. It's perfect!"

With their destination finalized, Karasu helped his father pack and summoned a carriage driver to escort them. Shortly they were on their way out of town and headed out towards the forest. Sakyo visibly relaxed in his seat and smiled out of the window. "Well… I had no idea it was already Summer… A lovely time of year… warm…"

"Much better than the cold chill of death, I'm sure." Karasu purred lowly and relaxed as well. Before long, the raven drifted into a light sleep, where a strange dream awaited him. At first he saw his mother, gentle and smiling, with her light brown hair flowing around her, but as soon as he reached for her she vanished, leaving behind a small rose bud in his open palm. The man gently turned the bud over, curious what it was for, barely even noticing the snow-coated shadow that crept over him. Just when he realized the creature was there and turned his head upward, he awoke with a jolt—startled awake by the booming thunder outside the carriage.

Confused at first, Karasu glanced over to his father who seemed greatly unsettled.

He turned his head to look out the window instead, frowning slightly at the thick sheet of rain surrounding them. The fact that it was already dark out just seemed to make matters worse, the raven wondered how the driver was even able to see in this weather. As if on cue, a bright bolt of lightning lit up the forest around them. For a second Karasu could have sworn he saw a silver creature in the trees, but the thought was quickly shaken out of him when the carriage gave a sharp tug.

"Ohhhh, this is NOT good!" Sakyo hissed lowly and clenched onto the seat. Karasu nervously opened the window to try and peer out to the front of the carriage. Apparently the horse was in a panic over the storm, but the driver was nowhere to be seen. _Was he thrown off by the jolt?_ He wondered but gave a startled yelp when the carriage suddenly slipped off the muddy road. Sakyo instinctively wrapped Karasu in his arms as a sign of protection, but both of them went down with the wagon, neither one sure about what was happening.

The horse managed to break free, but the men had no such luck. Sakyo lost consciousness somewhere in the various tumbles of the cart, but Karasu remained awake and fearful, watching everything from the window opposite of them. At some point-the raven wasn't really sure when-the carriage came to a quivering stop on Sakyo's side, rain beating down through the broken window above.

He laid there tiredly across Sakyo's chest while fixing the other window with a blank stare. Occasionally he gave a wince of pain and thought that, surely, a bone or two might be broken… or worse? _How many people have died from freak accidents in a buggy? _He wondered dully, turning his head slightly from the beating rain. All he remembered last was seeing a dark shadow fall over them, but then, like most people in near-death situations, his body gave out and he fainted.

Karasu wasn't really sure how long he was out, or where he even was; all he knew was that when he finally came around he was in what felt like a bed, looking up at what seemed to be a… frog..?

Frightened, the raven gave a yelp and quickly sat up. The "frog" gave an equally loud yell and backed away from him. "Oh dear, I-I'm SO sorry, I didn't mean to…." The frog-man muttered. In actuality, he was just a hobbled old man with a pair of really large goggles placed over his eyes.

Upon realizing this, Karasu sighed in relief and passed a quivering hand over his face. He paused a bit and held out his hand, observing the bandages about his palm and wrist. "What….?"

"You and this poor man were really thrown for a loop!" The old fellow mumbled and removed his goggles. You'd swear the man was at least seventy with all the deep wrinkles about his face.

"Man….?" The raven frowned for a bit then gave a cry of horror before looking about the room. He spotted Sakyo in a bed just across from him, sleeping peacefully, but not moving at all. "… Is… is he…."

"Dead? No. Comatose? I'm not sure!" Their caretaker snipped and wobbled over to Sakyo. He lightly pinched the man's wrist and counted in his head for a bit, checking Sakyo's pulse. Karasu waited patiently until finally the frog-man dropped his father's wrist to the silken bed. "You see, I think the both of you have been here for two days or so. At least that's what that weird voice told me!" With a cackle, the old man paced back over and roughly grabbed Karasu's un-bandaged hand, furiously shaking it. "Doctor Millian, pleasure to meet you! I must say I'm not even sure how I got here! One moment I was passing through the park in town, and then all of a sudden I was whisked away to stay in this weird castle!"

Karasu blinked nervously and pulled his hand away, wondering if the man was senile. He seemed to fit the bill for a crazy person.

He decided to let the "voice" comment pass by and instead turned his head towards the large window. "We're in… a castle?" Slowly he moved from under the silken sheets of his queen-sized bed and placed his feet on the floor while looking about the room again, this time taking in the details. The room was indeed very large, at least compared to others he'd been to. The design was tastefully caught somewhere between a Victorian and Gothic influence, much to Karasu's interest. There was a lovely fireplace littered with quaint little knick-knacks, ornate candle-holders attached to the brick walls, and a large red-oak door just off to the side. He couldn't help but notice, however, that even with the bright glow from the midday light outside, the room seemed…. Depressing. The Raven also swore he saw flecks of snow on the window pane. _Surely not, it's hardly close to winter…_

Curiously, he pushed away from the bed and paced over to stare through the white-coated window. "It… really is snow," he whispered softly.

"Heh! Caught me off guard too, I say! The middle of Summer! Boiling hot, but we got snow. Madness!" The old man cackled behind him while folding a white sheet.

Karasu ignored him and watched a few small flurries drift down and onto the window pane. He did lean closer for a better view, but after placing his hand on the dusty, spider-webbed sill, he quickly withdrew his hand in disgust instead. Annoyed, he wiped the grime onto his pants, but stopped with a frown. "…. You changed my clothes." Instead of his nice black nobleman attire, the man was now clothed in yet MORE silk. And WHITE silk—Pajamas no less!

The raven cringed. "White? Really?"

"Well, not my choice I promise you! The voice gave them to me."

Karasu wondered if he should even bother asking anymore questions. He really couldn't contain it though: "So this voice. Does it know where we are?"

"Duh. Told ya'—a castle." Dr. Millian rolled his freakishly magnified eyes and grumbled crossly. "Kids these days. Don't listen."

"I suppose I should go see for myself then?" Karasu asked tiredly, pointing a pale finger toward the door. When the old "frog" didn't answer Karasu quickly shuffled from the room, casting a small worried glance to his father's still form before closing the door behind him with a gentle click.

Once the door closed Karasu found himself surrounded by chilling darkness. While the bedroom was warm and well lit, the hallway was pitch black and very eerie. The only sign of light was a small, barely noticeable sliver shining through from the window to his left. Just when the raven brushed his fingers over the velvet curtains he heard what sounded like claws rake over the stone floor behind him, followed by a gruff growl.

"Wait… leave it closed…" The voice murmured lowly.

Karasu froze on the spot and nervously gripped the curtain tighter. Turning around to face the creature really did no good as all the man could see was darkness. "… You must be the person that brought us here…?"

Whoever it was just gave another low growl and shuffled over the stone floor. Karasu pressed his back to the window. "… Why should I leave the curtain closed? I feel I have the right to see who you are. Or are you allergic to the light?"

"Allergic?" The newcomer purred, although it sounded very rough and tired. "I suppose you could say that… I do not wish to be seen."

With a frown, the raven tilted his head. "Why? You cannot possibly be _that_ ugly, could you?"

"Extremely."

For a moment the man just stood there, gently stroking his forefinger over the curtain's fabric. Part of him really wanted to open them anyway and expose this unknown individual, but the other side of him knew that there must be some important reason for why the creature did not want to be viewed. _Maybe he's missing an eye? _Karasu assumed, correctly, that the person was male. _Or maybe he's covered in giant warts and has a humped back?_ Whatever the reason, Karasu gave a defiant huff and threateningly moved the curtain an inch, allowing more light to shine in. His savior quickly swept out of the way. "However you look I am sure it will not bother me. My father has been tending to the dead for as long as I remember and my first play-toy was a misplaced liver" –Sakyo was a terrible parent—" so I am rather open-minded on these things."

The mysterious creature gave another low growl of discomfort. "I… am not sure…"

"Well I am." With that, Karasu pulled open the curtains, exposing the hallway to his view.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust with the light, but once they did he scanned the hallway for the individual. He saw him, curled up in a rather large ball just in the shadows at the end of the hallway. Despite the fact that his savior turned out to be a ten-foot-tall, furry, silver… thing, Karasu was pretty calm.

He stepped closer. "There now, you see? I told you I could handle it."

The creature just gave a beastly groan and slowly turned its muzzle towards Karasu. His nose and mouth were stained with partially dried and liquid blood and his fur was completely filthy, as if the thing hadn't bathed in a hundred years.

Undeterred by the blood, Karasu folded his hands behind the small of his back, smiling. "Now I may thank you properly for your help." He gave a humble bow and fixed him with a curious stare. "Going out on a limb here, but is your name Yoko?"

The silver fox lifted its head higher, ears perked. "You know my name…? How?"

"Ah, my friend actually. A young woman named Botan, she told me about you." _Honestly, of all the stories she told me. Why couldn't the one with the magic lamp be true?_ "So… King Yoko. Why on earth are you such a mess?"

Yoko stared at him in disbelief. As if Karasu had to ask?

Sensing this, Karasu gave a meek smile. "Sorry, I guess I am still a bit frazzled. Really though, thank you so much for helping us."

"You are… welcome… I suppose…" The fox lowered his head and stretched out. Wordlessly, he began to circle the pale human, studying him. "… How are you not afraid of me?"

Karasu watched the beast, non-too-threatened. "I'm just not. Do you want me to be?"

"No…"

"Then what is the problem?"

Yoko stopped, one of his front paws raised in the air. He was so large compared to Karasu that the small man's shoulders were almost at the same level as the creature's belly. "I suppose… there is no problem."

"Good!" Karasu chimed and held out his bandaged hand. "Things could have been much worse without your help, so I shall have to repay you somehow." Looking past his hand, the raven spotted a huge and grotesque spider and winced in slight fear. "That widow is huge… you really need to clean this place."

"Hmmm... I would but… it is very hard to come across servants that can stand the sight of me." Yoko lowered his belly to the floor and peered up to the spider. He felt a bit embarrassed that Karasu found his home unsatisfactory, but completely relieved that the raven wasn't afraid of him.

Karasu watched the widow then glanced about the dusty, clawed up hallway. "… I could clean for you."

Yoko growled lowly. "Forget it. You are a guest."

"Yeah, well, you won't get that many more guests with a castle like this."

After a moment of contemplation Yoko finally gave a small nod and Karasu stepped away. "Lead me to the kitchen, will you? Or... wherever you keep your cleaning supplies. You do have water, right?"

"Ah… y-yes… water and electricity… but the breaker is down, so we should probably see to that first?" The silver fox lifted himself from the floor and padded after Karasu, purring lowly.

Karasu turned down a hallway and frowned. There was nothing but pitch black ahead of him, just like the last hallway was before he opened the curtain. Was the whole castle like this? _It is so hard to see in here, how can Yoko even-_ His thoughts were broken when the man tripped over a stray stone. Quickly, he put out his hand to a wall and steadied himself, but jumped away just as fast when something tried to tap its spindly legs to his skin. "Yoko… Can you see in here?"

The large beast chuckled in a strange, growl-like manner. "Yes, and you should probably move away from that wall."

Karasu reached out and took hold of the beast king's bloody fur instead. "Why must you keep it so dark? Even when no one is around?"

"Because even I cannot stand the sight of me." Yoko stopped walking and turned his head to look at the man. Karasu was glancing blindly about the hallway. It was a good thing the raven could not see in the dark like him; otherwise he would have noticed yet another spider on his shoulder. Just when the tiny creature lifted its front legs to lunge at Karasu's cheek, the beast slipped out his tongue and swept the bug up, fearlessly munching it.

Karasu winced and pulled away from him, wiping off his shoulder and neck. "Ew! You have slugs in here too? Is... is that what that was?"

Yoko just growled and began down the hallway again. "Keep close. I'll lead you down stairs."

It took a bit of time to actually traverse through the castle—that place was HUGE! Karasu tried to count the different flights of stairs but he got lost somewhere between five and an accidental trip down the sixth. The raven could have sworn he heard the beast laugh in the dark at him but he decided to let it slide, for now.

Eventually they did reach the dining hall on the second floor where King Yoko led Karasu over to a large wall made entirely of glass windows. Once the curtains were drawn away Karasu could see the room and he was not particularly happy with it.

"I really have my work cut out for me... this place is filthy," he muttered to himself while feeling the long, dusty dining table. It must have stretched for ten yards.

"Karasu," Yoko called softly and turned his nose towards a set of double doors. "The basement is here. The generator should be down there but I do not know how to operate it."

Shortly after Karasu went into the basement the overhead chandelier flickered to life and a low hum arose from the kitchen in the other room. He returned with a smile, wiping off his hands. "We should probably have an electrician check it, but for now things seem to be fine. Let's go see about the water, yeah?"

Yoko curiously followed the man into his vast kitchen and sat down in the doorway to watch as he worked. Karasu was behaving as if Yoko was... well, normal. Obviously he was not and the beast need only look down to his bloody claws to remind himself. It was rather odd to have such a calm reaction to his form but also an incredible relief. He'd been here alone for so long, it was comforting to have a friend around.

"Did you hear me, Yoko?"

"Hmm?" The beast lifted his head and looked at the raven. "What?"

"I said I can't do anything with the water, it looks like the pipes may be corroded. We need to hire someone for that, too." Karasu glanced over his shoulder at the sink which was now covered in a red liquid from the rusted pipes. "And we should probably shop for a bit of food, don't you think? The doctor and I can't stay here and not eat."

"Yes... of course..." Yoko lowered his torso to the floor in shame. Terrible host, that's him! "Sorry..."

"Huh?" Karasu blinked then laughed. "Oh, come on don't be. It's so weird to see a fox apologize. Look it's fine; apparently you've been hunting and I'm all for it but a human can't just live on meat, y'know?"

Yoko nodded and laid his chin to the floor, looking up at the man.

Karasu wasn't really sure how to react to this sudden cuteness. Didn't Botan say the beast was all furious and what-not from being turned into a monster? The creature before him was just... pathetic. But in a really cute way. Curiously, he knelt down, resting his wrists on his knees. "... You're not what I pictured when Botan told me about you."

Yoko's left ear perked up high. "I am not?"

"Yeah, I mean... Shouldn't you be freaking out and trying to eat me or something? Aren't you mad about the curse?"

Feeling insulted, Yoko gave a low, non-threatening hiss. "Of course I am! Can you just imagine being this way for more than ten years? I'm not even sure how long it HAS been. Long enough for this mess to happen!" He flicked his tail across the floor, sending a giant wave of dust into the cabinets.

Karasu watched until the dust flurries died down then turned his gaze back to the fox. "... Isn't there a way it can be broken or something?" He stopped, remembering what Botan had said. "... 'You will live here alone, as a monster, until the day that you might find someone capable of loving the horrid creature you are inside;' that's what my friend told me. Is that true?"

Yoko snorted and turned his head to the side. If looks could kill then the castle floor would be up in flames. "That stupid witch... Yes, that's what she said to me. But who in their right mind would fall for... THIS?" He gave a furious growl and scraped his left paw over the floor while raising his head. "No-one has even come here in years! It's like they don't even notice a giant castle where it always snows!"

"Yeah, what's up with that anyway?" Karasu asked in a bored tone. If this fox was about to have a temper tantrum then he was leaving, sick father and all.

"Ugh." The Fox King lowered his head again, ears drooped. "It has not stopped snowing since that day... the snow isn't even cold but it falls constantly. I'm surprised the entire castle isn't buried."

"Maybe it's just the witch's way of a cruel joke?" He slapped his knees and stood up again with a sigh. "Anyway, I'm bored. So unless you want to help me clean I suggest you just let me do my work, alright?"

"... Sure..." He looked up at the Raven with a pitiful stare but the man just turned to explore for cleaning items, leaving him alone in the kitchen. Yoko finally had someone to talk to and it was a mouthy goth boy. Go figure, right?

With a low growl of defeat, the beast lifted himself from the floor and exited back to his dark and clawed corridors.

Despite Karasu's cleaning prowess, the man was greatly outmatched by the castle. The kitchen and dining room alone took him five hours to dust completely and that was without scrubbing the animal waste stains and washing the moth-eaten curtains. He knew he needed help and a lot of it, but he also knew that Yoko would freak and have a fox-fit if a crowd of people stormed the castle.

The raven paused, leaning on an old broom. Such a weird guy King Yoko was. Instead of a ferocious beast the fellow was more like a puppy. A huge, creepy, blood-coated puppy. Already Karasu found himself comfortable at the castle with this large creature. Probably because he finally found something weirder than him whereas back home he was the creepy kid, the son of the insane mortician. Here he was rather normal, especially compared to the frog doctor Millian.

A lump caught in the raven's throat when he recalled his father, up several flights up above him and unconscious. How long would they have to stay here? Would Sakyo ever even wake up?

He quickly pushed the thought aside and began sweeping the tiled kitchen floors again. He could at least finish these two rooms before turning in for the day. Maybe tomorrow he could convince Yoko to open more curtains and then do a bit of shopping for food.

Morning came much faster than he had anticipated and Karasu awoke to the full effect of the rising sun beaming into the dining hall. The electricity had long since gone out overnight, just as Karasu assumed it would. That would need to be fixed.

Yawning loudly, he flicked a spider from his shoulder and rose from a freshly cleaned chair to stretch. The dining hall looked, for the most part, like it had been built yesterday. The only things that needed fixing were, obviously, the torn and moth-eaten curtains and rug. Those could easily be replaced, if Yoko had any money to spare.

After a bit of stretching, yawning, and back-cracking the man wandered up stairs back to his room. He stopped only to open every single curtain he could find, making insects and rats scurry from the harsh light. He became lost several times but finally came across the right door and gently knocked before entering.

Dr. Millian was curled up in a chair in the corner, fast asleep. Unfortunately, Sakyo was also still deep into his own comatose slumber. With a small sting in his eyes the raven approached his father's bed and slowly sat down upon it, leaning over him. He recalled many, many mornings where he had to rouse Sakyo from his sleep and wondered when he would ever see the man open his eyes again. With a pained sigh he leaned down and pressed his hand to the older man's forehead. "... Hello father. Good morning..."

Despite Karasu's expectation of a returned greeting, Sakyo stayed completely still and silent.

With another sigh the raven slipped from his father's bed and went over to their pile of luggage near the window. King Yoko must have had Millian bring in their cases should they need them.

After checking to make sure Millian was still asleep the raven quickly changed into a dark red outfit and tossed his dusty one aside. Once he felt clean enough and gathered what money he had, the man went back into the hallway and closed the door. He debated on calling for Yoko but instead went back down to try and find the main entrance.

Thankfully he didn't even need to call the fox as the large beast snuck from the shadows just as he reached the foyer. "Where are you going...?"

Karasu jumped slightly and heaved a sigh. He turned to look at the fox who was somehow bloodier than he remembered. "Shopping. We need food, remember?"

Yoko shuffled closer and circled him. "Without money?"

"I'm not THAT poor, you know. I have money," the raven hissed back and jingled a large purse of coins.

Yoko curled his lip up at the pouch. "You said we needed to hire people too. For the lights and water. You need a lot more to pay for them, don't you?"

"What, now?" Karasu blinked and tilted his head to the side. "Thought you hated people being around?"

"But it needs to be done soon. Who knows when your father will wake up." Yoko stopped walking and dropped his hind quarters to the carpeted floor. "Besides... I could hide in my room. As long as they do not come near me, I am fine."

"Well they'll have to go to all the water sources in the castle. It'll be pretty crazy around here for, what, a couple months? Depending on how many people we hire."

Yoko's ears immediately pressed to his head. "Months? That... I cannot handle that, Karasu."

"Well if we're lucky maybe it isn't that serious? I mean the plumbing does seem fine, really it's just the water's rusty. I don't really know that much about it, so it could just be nothing. I'll hire someone anyway to check it out, alright?"

The beast nodded. "And... I still have quite a good bit of money around here. You are free to use it for anything you need. You may have to have some things appraised, however."

Damn the rich people for having it so easy. Karasu forced a smile. "I'll keep that in mind. Do you know which way the nearest town is from here?"

"Of course. Here, let me show you to the stables first."

Naturally, Karasu's first instinct when he stepped outside of the castle was to turn and look up at the old structure. His jaw dropped in amazement as he registered several different towers piercing the sky. Some areas had open-air hallways with aged white draperies flailing from the wind. He wondered how many rooms there just might be; surely there were over a thousand.

The entire castle itself was white, but not just from the snow. He noted that each surface stone of the castle was polished marble and Karasu could not help but step close to the monument and brush his hand over the white stone, smiling at the intricate golden designs laid into them. "My God... these must have taken FOREVER to make."

"Yes, well, only the best," Yoko barely looked at the stones. "Only the ones up to twenty feet are designed, the others were just made to look the same, since no one outside will see them up close, anyway. Come on."

Karasu frowned slightly and took off after the fox. Everywhere he looked the Raven saw white, only this time it really was from the endless snow. Instead of crunching under his feet like normal, the flurries blew about like dust, coating his dark shoes. With a sigh he tugged at the collar of his vest. For some reason, despite the strange snow, the effects of Summer were still in the air. "How... in the WORLD is it so hot?"

Yoko turned his furry head to look at the man, speaking sarcastically. "I TOLD you the snow was not cold." He looked back ahead of him and through a lattice archway covered in white-stained wisteria vines. "Even the garden is growing like normal."

"Really?" Karasu stepped into the archway and peered into the castle garden.

One thing could be said to relate Karasu to the original Beauty—he LOVED red roses. His mother always kept a small rose garden just outside Karasu's bedroom window. He could not wait until Spring rolled around and the flowers began to bloom so that he and his mother could lay beneath the bushes in their own small haven. Just the two of them, smiling.

Yoko's garden, however, was more like a springtime paradise with roses as far as the eye could see. While the outside of the garden was lined with trimmed wisteria, the inside was composed of nothing but specially planted, blood red roses. The only thing that took away from this glorious sight was, again, the odd weather conditions. With a lukewarm smile, Karasu stepped over and gently took a rose into his hand. Instantly, the false snow melted at his touch, leaving the rose powder free. "... Well that's... weird..." He touched another, smaller rose, and stared as the snow once again faded. Looking back he could see that wherever Yoko touched the snow it merely clung to him instead of evaporating. _Maybe... I guess this snow is a way to torture him? No matter what he does the snow would just stick here..._

To prove the Raven's silent point, Yoko passed by a stray wisteria branch. Whatever snow he knocked off was instantly replaced by the falling flurries. Either Yoko did not notice or... he just stopped caring.

"Come on, the stables are this way," the Fox king hissed lowly, passing on through the garden to another archway.

Karasu took one last look at the prized garden and followed him.

Once he reached the stables the Raven instantly smiled again. "You saved the horse, too," he chuckled lightly and went over to the first stall. The cream-colored horse from his and Sakyo's carriage snorted at him and lowered her head for a pet. "I was actually worried she would get lost, such a pretty girl." He cooed to the mare, but stopped when a thought occurred to him. Curiously he turned to face Yoko who remained at the entrance, trying not to frighten the horse. "... What about our driver? What happened to him?"

Yoko lifted one ear and gave his head a curious tilt. "You had a driver? I never saw one, even when I saw you enter my part of the forest, just before the storm hit." He dropped that ear and raised his back legs to stand. "I thought it was odd you did not have one, but then again times have changed. I... I don't know where he went, honest. There was no driver, Karasu."

"A... alright..." Karasu turned his head back to his new friend, stroking her tangled mane. Surely the driver wouldn't just jump off and leave them on their own? The carriage wasn't even theirs, much less the horse. As if sensing his thoughts, the mare cast an abandoned look to his face, snorting quietly. "... Such a cruel man; leaving an Angel like you behind." With a smile the raven took up a brush from the straw-coated stable and unlatched her door. "C'mon girl. Lets get you fixed up, huh?"

Yoko seated himself again and watched Karasu tend to the female mount, waiting patiently. He felt proud that Karasu appreciated his gift. Which, it's not really THAT much of a gift when Karasu was supposed to have the horse anyway; but who cares about details? The point is, Karasu was smiling and Yoko felt relieved that he could reward the man for his service. However, he could not shake a small pang of dread. Part of him, the silly dreamer, hoped that the first visitor he would receive would be, well... a woman. Despite his doubts of love the fox did pray for the curse to be broken. It was the only thing he wanted. This castle, his treasure, none of it mattered anymore. He just wanted to be free.

Karasu looked up from his brushing and sneaked a glance at the fox. The poor creature seemed broken and Karasu honestly did not know what to do about it. He wasn't really that much of a people person, hard as he tried.

Instead of asking what was wrong the raven diverted his attention back to Angel, his new steed. "So, you'll point me to town and I'm supposed to hire any and everyone we need?"

Yoko lifted his head then lowered it again. "... Yes. A plumber, electrician, I honestly do not care what you do to the castle at this point."

Karasu slowed his strokes through Angel's mane and cast a worried look to the fox. He... really was sad. Karasu honestly wished he knew what to do but... he couldn't think of a single thing. Except...

With a pitying smile, the tall man turned toward his king. "How about this—we fix up the castle and then we hold a ball for all the girls we can find?"

Yoko snorted, not even entertaining himself with the thought. "They would run screaming."

"No, but see." Karasu tossed the horse brush aside, smirking slightly from his new idea. "What was the one issue you had for the past few years when people saw you?"

"... Fur?" Yoko flicked his tail.

"Nope."

"... Teeth?"

"Noooooo," Karasu shook his head.

"I... I don' t know... my size, how I look? My voice?"

"No, no, and your voice is fine, really. Do you give up?"

The beast tilted his head, feeling a tad bit annoyed. "Karasu I hate games like t—"

"You did not have ME," the Raven smiled, deciding to spare the king any more guessing.

Yoko really did not see the importance. "Karasu... honestly, what does this—"

"It's perfect; before I came here you had to do all this on your own. When you met people you had to seek them out and it would frighten them but I"—he placed his hands to his own dark-clad chest—"I could be your middle man. I can handle the food, talk to the ladies, I can tell them about you and I can set up your dates. All you have to do is remain in the shadows and occasionally speak just so they know I am not making you up."

Yoko's golden eyes widened. He liked this idea, he really did. Why did it not occur to him? "Do you... really think you are up for that?"

"Sure!" Karasu waved his hand dismissively. "I like organizing things." Of course he did, his mother was always the go-getter of the family and his biggest dream was to be like her; the woman that could handle anything. Only... well, you know. A MAN that could handle anything.

Feeling much better, the fox eagerly got to his feet. His silver tail thrashed wildly behind him in excitement. "A... and then this curse will be through?"

"Bet your fur it will." Karasu laughed at the reaction, mentally labeling Yoko as a large puppy once and for all, then patted Angel's back. "Help me get her suited up so I can ride, fox-man! We have a castle to fix up!"

It was not long before the Raven returned, bringing a caravan of carts with him. Yoko was forced to retreat to his room while the crews did their work surveying and decorating the castle.

Thankfully, the plumbing was not as bad as Karasu thought. You see, the pipes and all were put in just before the curse, so they were not used that much. They were simply filled with vermin and gunk that was easily flushed out.

The same went for the electricity; the generator just needed a few small replacements to cure its assault from rats and rust.

The real issue, according to the decorator Karasu hired, was the furniture. Immediately the androgynous man dropped down to his knees with a loud scream at the moth-eaten mess. Karasu stood there, too shocked to say anything.

"Oh. My. GOD. Will you just LOOK at the foyer? It... oh God!" His assistant fanned him while trying not to faint himself.

"Is... is it... that bad?" Karasu really did not see the issue. I mean, it was just furniture. It's nothing to freak out about, right?

"IS. IT. THAT. BAD? Jeremy, Jeremy do you HEAR this man?" After wiping a tear from his eye, the decorator rose to his feet and his assistant, Jeremy, quickly brushed the dust from his knees. "Darling, I would hope a beautiful man such as yourself could understand this damage. Dearest, ALL of this needs to be fixed. The walls are lovely, in all their milky white goodness and gold trim but honey this design is just... ohgosh. It's SO old! You need something fresher. We are in the age of motorized mills, honey, so we need to repreSENT it! You hear me?"

"... Yeah, sure. Whatever. Just don't go into any of the locked rooms or hallways, alright?" Karasu made sure to get the skeleton key from King Yoko and passed through the castle to lock each and every room he thought they would not need. Needless to say, the only areas open were seven spare bedrooms, the main rooms like the kitchen and dining hall, and of course the library. Yoko insisted the ballroom be left the way it was so Karasu jotted a note and placed it on the door beforehand, reading "CLEAN ONLY No design." He also blocked off his father's resting room and informed Millian of all the events. Doctor Millian did not mind keeping away from the working crews since he was a little... froggy around company. (Pard the pun.)

Karasu informed Millian that it should, hopefully, not take too long for the designing, so there was no reason for him to start a fight. Although, the raven really could not imagine what WOULD cause Millian to argue with their guests. Maybe too many people cracked jokes at his glasses?

Upon request, no-one was to touch the stables or the garden. This suited their visitors just fine, however since the fake snow slightly weirded them out. Within a day the electrician and plumber left, leaving only the designing crew and several maids that Karasu hired. As nighttime drew closer, however, Karasu found himself unlocking more guests rooms for the crew to stay the night while they waited on their furniture orders.

After scolding them all, very thoroughly, about how no-one was to go any higher than the floor they stayed on, Karasu made his way up two more flights and unlocked the passageway into the middle tower. This tower was the largest of all the others and, obviously, where Yoko's bedchamber was.

Slightly weary from a long day of androgynous translations and yelling at the maids, Karasu paced through the open-air passageway to Yoko's room. Halfway he stopped and looked between the white stone pillars at the grounds below. In the pale moonlight he could just make out the rose garden and gave a tired smile at the sight. Up high he could easily see that the rose bushes were carefully placed to form the line art of another open rose, surrounded with a violet ribbon veiled by the snow. "Cute," he spared an appreciative chuckle and continued on to the Fox King's dorm.

The Raven stopped and gently knocked at the large white doors. "King Yoko?"

It took a moment but Karasu was answered with a low growl. The lock clicked and he went inside.

His first impression of the room was, of course, a negative one. This one large room was somehow more of a wreck than the kitchen and foyer combined. The furniture was all but falling apart and clawed beyond recognition, the balcony doors were permanently torn open from one of Yoko's fur-fits long ago, and the floor was littered with remnants of the King's hunted meals. As if this wasn't enough, large rats were gnawing on the animal carcasses and leaving nasty leftovers of their own.

"... Alright, this is just sick. YOKO?" Karasu covered his nose and attempted to step around the mess. It would have to be cleaned, somehow. It MUST. "Do you have any idea how many diseases you could die from in this damn room?" he hissed and glanced about. Yoko left the light on but it only illuminated the area near his door and nothing else. He stopped at the edge of the shadows and folded his arms. "Dammit, Yoko, come into the light right now!"

Hesitantly, Yoko emerged; his ears were drooped in anticipation of a scolding. "... Yes, Karasu...?"

The Raven narrowed his violet eyes and pointed to the remains of a large buck. Why Yoko dragged the creature up here was unknown to him. "From now on you eat outside. This is NOT hygienic."

Yoko nodded and lowered his head to the nasty floor in shame.

The rats looked up at Karasu as if they knew what he said and hissed. The tall man just kicked one out of the balcony entrance, eyes trained to Yoko's. The rat squeaked and flew out into the night. "Now help me clean, these things are annoying."

Yoko looked down at the rodents then back to Karasu. Then, to Karasu's horror, the beast snapped up the nearest carcass and the poor unfortunate rat attached to it. All of the other rats went into a screeching uproar and ran for the door, wiggling under it to get away.

While Yoko munched on the week-old body, bones and all, his friend stared and turned slightly green.

"D... did you just..." Karasu covered his mouth.

The fox ceased his chewing and lowered his head again, swallowing nervously. After licking his teeth clean, he spoke lowly. "I... I'm sorry. I meant to eat it sooner but I just... I haven't had that much of an appetite, lately..."

From the amount of remains in the room Karasu had a hard time believing that one. He closed his eyes and slowly took his hand away to draw in a calming breath. "... Alright. I'll ignore that, because the crunching noises made me sick. Just don't eat something like that again without warning me, alright?"

Yoko nodded shamefully and brushed his tail over the floor. He waited for Karasu to speak again but the Raven just stood there, eyes closed. "... Are you upset with me?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. The stench is causing my eyes to sting." Karasu rubbed his eye then sighed. "You have a bathroom in here right?"

"Yeah..." The furry King nodded his head to a door on the right, barely hidden by the shadows. "And it should be somewhat clean. I never go in there."

Karasu instantly went to the door. "Sweep this mess to the side then come in."

The beast frowned but did as the Raven asked. Using his tail as a broom, the creature swept his meals out of the "window" in his wall. Later on Karasu would realize that this mess would be stuck to one of the castle rooftops and be surrounded with buzzards. Yoko was rather lazy though, so he did not feel like mentioning his cleaning failure. Once he thought he was done, the fox trotted over to the open bathroom door and peeked inside.

The room really was rather clean, aside from dust. Karasu was busy rinsing out the large tub which was always too spacious for Yoko as a human but now was a perfect fit to his beast form. Sensing what Karasu was about to force him into, he hissed, the fur on his tail sticking straight out. "NO."

Karasu didn't even look up. "Get the hell over here or I'll shave you bald."

Yoko growled lowly but did as the man wished and stepped close to the tub. Karasu laid out a carrying case filled with odd trimmers and nail files. Yoko turned his nose up at them. "I do not see the point in this..."

"I don't care. You're getting a bath and you will like it." The Raven plugged the tub and cut on the faucet.

Lowering his head with a hiss the king watched as the tub filled. Why did he have to go through this torture?

His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of snipping scissors. He blinked and looked back to his tail then growled. "WHAT are you doing?"

Karasu glared at him, holding the beast's large tail. "Cutting out all this crap you call food. You have dead creatures, blood, and briars all over you. Not to mention this." He took a pair of tweezers and reached into Yoko's thick fur. After a quick pinch and tug the man withdrew a tick the size of a human eyeball. Yoko stared in shock. "This little thing really seems to think you're delicious. Say hello to your host, Ticky." He mockingly waved the insect at Yoko. The creature just flailed until Karasu took it over and dropped it into a trash bin, mentally noting to burn it and any other ticks he found.

Yoko watched Karasu as he then stepped over and turned off the water, figuring there was enough. "... Thanks..." He glanced sheepishly to the floor.

"No problem. Just let me do what I'm here to do, alright? We had a deal that I would clean and fix this place up to help break your curse, and in return I get to stay here until my father recovers. We can't break this curse if you smell like a dead buzzard, can we?" Karasu dipped his hand into the water then went back over to the beast, taking up his scissors once more.

"I... I guess not..." He lowered himself to give Karasu a better reach at his matted fur.

Karasu set to work and began snipping. Despite how tired he was from his eventful day, the man knew that this needed to be done. The fox's fur was so stained with blood that Karasu seriously wondered if it would come out pink after the wash. He stifled a few yawns and continued cutting; occasionally he asked Yoko to step into the water to rinse off any stray hairs and debris. Within two hours, the fox was perfectly trimmed and tick free. Karasu actually counted: twenty seven eyeball-sized ticks, five bones, a cricket, and an ass-load of fleas. Hopefully the fleas would come out by the time he finished cleaning his foxy friend.

Feeling much more tired than when he began, the raven let out the water to clean the tub again. Now he just needed to wash the beast and file his claws. And... then clean his teeth. And his ears. And... his nose. Karasu shuddered at this, but pressed on.

Yoko, feeling a tad naked with less fur, took a spin around in a circle to try and see himself. "I... feel so light. And less fluffy!" He caught sight of his own rump which used to be rather messy but, well, Karasu had to clean that, too. Yoko gave a nervous cough and looked at the man. "Sorry again about, you know..."

"It's not your fault, it happens all the time with animals." Karasu held a hand to his mouth and yawned while waiting for the water to fill up. "Hmm... alright, get in."

The fox quickly did as he was told and stepped into the water. He laid belly-down and gazed at Karasu, waiting patiently.

Once the water reached Yoko's shoulder level Karasu turned it off and took up a scrubbing brush he borrowed from the stables. He looked out towards the fox then frowned when he realized the beast was out of reach. "... I suppose I have to get in, too," he sighed while setting the brush down. Yoko watched him as he shed his shirt and pants, leaving on his dark, black under-shorts. "Laugh and I'll kill you," the Raven hissed when Yoko's furry lips curled into a grin.

The actual washing process took roughly another hour and a half, leading the two well into the dark morning. It must have been nearly one AM by the time Yoko was clean, and Karasu's sleep-deprivation was really starting to affect him. At one point, Karasu did in fact drift off into a light sleep. He was leaning against Yoko while trying to wash his back but the soft fur relaxed him. Yoko wiggled from side to side until Karasu woke up and the Raven set back to work.

With all the gunk washed away, Yoko really did seem more stunning than frightening. His silver fur glistened, and his eyes appeared to glow a bit brighter without globs of eye residue clouding them. He growled appreciatively to Karasu as the man dried off. "Thank you, Karasu. This really means a lot to me," the fox purred and stepped from his red-stained bath.

Karasu just gave a small nod and tugged at the plug's chain, allowing the water and a few diver fleas to slip down the drain. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Hmmm. Come here; let me dry you a bit." Yoko did as he was asked and Karasu wiped away as much water as he could before taking up the claw-files he brought. "Paws out."

With a sneer, the fox obeyed, resting on his hind legs with his front paws slightly raised to Karasu. After the nails came Yoko's nose, and the beast shied away from him when he tried to wiggle a towel up his nostrils. "No! Skip the nose! Skip it!"

The man chuckled lightly and pressed against Yoko's furry neck to reach his ears instead. "Alright, but we at least need to clean these. I see another tick in there." After the beast's ears were nice and clean, Karasu took a large toothbrush to the king's mouth. He was amazed the creature's teeth had not fallen out already.

Yoko studied his young friend while he worked. He felt a bit embarrassed to be messed over like this and it was even worse because Karasu looked so ragged and worn out. When the man pulled away and told him he was through, Yoko purred lowly and swept his neck and paw around him in an awkward hug. "... Thanks."

Karasu just nodded and closed his eyes. "Mhm... just try not to get too messy and we won't have to do this so often." He gave another yawn and this time Yoko could swear he heard the man's jaw crack.

The beast held his hug, and curled up close enough so that his tail brushed around Karasu. "You can rest, you know."

"I will when I reach my bed..." Karasu answered groggily, though he obviously made no move to leave from where he was now.

Yoko turned slightly on his side, pulling Karasu up into his fur-coated embrace. The man barely muttered a comment about wet fur, but allowed for the change in position. Pretty soon, the little crow was out cold and Yoko smiled. The least he could do was help Karasu have a nice night's sleep before that weird, squealing man woke up and started barking demands.

He watched the Raven sleep for a few moments then lowered his own head to the floor, purring deeply.

The next morning did not start off well.

"OH. MY. GOD. WHAT IS THIIIIIISSSS?"

Karasu awoke to the most annoying scream and bolted up right. He was seated on the bathroom floor and curled up snugly in Yoko's silver tail. The beast was still asleep, though starting to stir awake from the noise. At first, he could not comprehend where he was but everything quickly set in the more he heard that annoying voice resonating from King Yoko's room.

...

... A voice in Yoko's room?

Karasu jumped to his feet and rushed out of the bathroom. Yoko barely looked up before the raven slammed the door behind him and looked across the blood-stained floor to Larry, the androgynous decor designer. "W-what are you DOING here?" Karasu hissed, protectively barring the bathroom door.

Larry looked like he was about to faint. His assistant furiously fanned him with his clipboard. "O... oh my God... I... I came to look for you and... and THIS is what I find? OMIGOD, KARASU!"

"I TOLD you to stay on the LOWER levels!" Karasu was beginning to think that hiring this man was a dangerous idea. If Larry had not thankfully been stalled by Yoko's room, then he could have waltzed right in and seen the beast. The crow tried not to imagine how annoying Larry's scream would be if he _did_ see the fox.

Larry tugged out a kerchief and placed it to his mouth. "Oh this is horrible... this MUST be fixed. And that balcony my goodness!"

Karasu growled, almost sounding like Yoko. "GET. OUT. You are NOT allowed in this room!"

The designer and his assistant backed away and Larry gave a sassy hiss. "Mreeeoooow, Kara-baby. Look, this is the pretty king's room, RIIIIGHT? So he totally CANNOT live like this. The poor dear doesn't even have a bed!"

Karasu glanced over near the balcony. True, much like the rest of the furniture, the Fox King's bed was in tatters and eaten down to almost nothing. He knew Yoko's room did need to be cleaned, and Larry was offering. What could it hurt? With a defeated sigh, the man straightened himself. "Alright... alright, you win. You may fix this room up, but ONLY with my supervision. Otherwise you will stay on the lower levels; I mean it, Larry. Do not come up here without me. Got it?"

Larry gave a delighted squee and clapped his hands together. "WONDERFUL! Any specific demands?"

Karasu recalled Yoko's large size. "The biggest and strongest bed you can find. He carries a lot of weight to bed, if you catch my understanding?"

The man's cheeks went pink and he and Jeremy shared a giggle. "Oh dear, quite the player, eh? I figured as much from the picture we found! He really is a foxy king, for sure!"

Karasu paled. "... Fox? How did you know...?"

"Honey, I told you, his picture! Ohmy that long silver hair, those gold eyes and that pale n' milky skin! Fan me, Jer!" Jeremy quickly did as he was asked. "Oh Karasu, you simply must see! Come, come, we put the painting up in the dining hall!" He turned to leave.

The crow gave a relieved sigh at the mention of skin, Yoko's secret was safe. Despite his curiosity to see Yoko's painting, he muttered, "It will have to wait. I need to stay here with the King."

"Oh, boo! Well, come meet us downstairs when you get done messing with the sexy man, m'kaaay?" The two shared another giggle and left the room.

Now Karasu really was curious. He wanted to know what Yoko looked like before the curse. For Larry to be this "faboo" over him, Yoko must have looked amazing.

Ignoring his piqued interest, the crow slowly opened the bathroom door. The large fox stared back at him, chin on the floor. "... Hello, Yoko. Did you hear all that?"

"Apparently I am quite the catch, as a human," he purred with a bored tone then rose to his feet. "So they found the painting... I thought you locked away the doors?"

"I thought I did, too. Sneaky jerks must have snuck through." Karasu sighed, he really hated this. "I'll lock them again and place warnings on the doors. Who knows, maybe the locks were just broken?"

Yoko just pushed past him and into his Larry-targeted room. "... Must he really change this?"

"Afraid so. It desperately needs to be cleaned. Speaking of which, I need to get a bath and tend to all this decoration mess. Stay hidden, alright? Go into the woods until nightfall if you don't feel safe here. Just stay out of sight." Karasu quickly strode to the door and exited the room.

"Oh... uh... alright..." Yoko laid his head on the stained floor to think for a moment, and then rushed out of the balcony to make his escape.

Once Karasu washed away all the dust and changed into a clean set of clothes, he decided to visit his immobile father, before braving the decor tornado downstairs. When he entered the room the man had to choke back a startled cry.

Sakyo really did not look well. From what Millian said, the man was out two days since the accident, and their stay here in the castle was pushing another three. Karasu's father was becoming rather thin and the Raven worried that he may not live very long in his current state.

Dr. Millian confirmed his thoughts when he held up Sakyo's wrist to check his pulse. "... I'm afraid, fella, that your old man here... Unless he wakes up within the next two days, he may just starve to death. I've been giving him water and soups, but getting an unconscious person to swallow isn't that easy. He needs to wake up n' get some real food." The old frog said this calm enough, like how he would to another patient. That only seemed to anger Karasu, but Millian paid no mind. "Not t'mention he was kinda ill before he got here. Barely ate when he was awake, eh? Surprised he isn't gone yet."

Karasu squared his jaw and strode over to Sakyo's side. "... He WILL wake up. So just do what you are here for and try everything you can to keep him going." No frog was going to discourage him—Sakyo would wake up. He had to. Mother was already...

The crow reached out and gently brushed Sakyo's dark hair back. The man continued to sleep. "... Try everything you can to wake him, please?"

Millian watched him and nodded silently.

Karasu hesitated a moment, but finally turned and left the room.

"Oh Kara-Babyyyy! There you are!" Larry turned from his assistant and glanced up to Karasu as he descended the staircase. "Ooo, and I am totally digging the threads!"

Karasu barely glanced down to his outfit. It was rather unintentional, but he really was dressed more like a butler with a crisp, red shirt and a black waistcoat with tails. Most of his clothes were a tad fancy, but that's just the way Karasu was. He reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around. "Wow... this place is... amazing."

Larry did-indeed do a good job with the foyer. Since the stones of the castle were white, Larry figured he should stick with the white and gold trim. To add more color, he had his crew lay out dark red rugs and carpets. The tables were made of a charming cherry wood, and decorated in rose and vine carvings. Karasu was impressed. "I actually like this... Nice work, Larry."

"Oh but you ain't seen nothin yet, doll! C'mere, c'mere!" Larry strode off towards the dining all, clapping eagerly. "Now the silver is just wooonderful! We picked out nice tea-sets, dining utensils, and napkins! But I still say the best alteration to this room was the painting we found! Omigod, it's Faboooo!"

Karasu tried not to retch from Larry's voice. "Uh... yeah, about that. Stop going into places I told you not to, Larry. I'm serious. If you do it again you won't be paid."

Larry's happy face dropped. "Awww, well that's just not nice. I suppose you have your reasons though. Alriiight!" He held up his right hand. "No more snoopin' like a li'l mouse. Now can I show you? Gosh!" With a proud grin, Larry tossed open the large dining room doors.

Karasu stepped inside and looked down the long dining room table towards a painting at the far end. He could hardly see from so far away, so he headed down the long table, lightly trailing his fingertips over the laced table-cloth. Once he reached the painting he glanced up and tilted his head at the man shown in the picture.

King Yoko really was something, as a human. He had long, silver hair that trailed down his back. His skin was pale and milky, which really helped his golden eyes shine. It was rather hard to guess the man's height, since the painting only covered him from waist up, but judging by Yoko's shoulders and arm length he must have had a few good feet to him. There was one thing seriously wrong with the painting, however.

Karasu tilted his head to the other side and narrowed his eyes. He was trying to mimic the un-characteristic glare on the painted king's face. "Yoko is not THAT mean looking..." The giant and meek fox was nothing like this pompous, overly dressed king at all. He wondered if the scowl was added by the painter or if Yoko really used to be so cruel-looking.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud, melodic chime that spread through the castle. He blinked curiously and turned to look back at Larry. "What's that?"

"I dunno..." Larry looked up and the noise sounded again. He snapped. "Ohyeah! Must be the doorbell we fixed!" With a giggle of glee he rushed from the room. "OMIGOSH, I HOPE IT'S THE NEW SATIN CURTAAAAINS!"

Karasu took one last look at the painting and hurried after Larry.

By the time he reached the main door, Larry had already stepped outside and was speaking to someone that Karasu could not quite see from his angle. He straightened his waistcoat and went closer, peering out at the visitor. He almost gasped at the beautiful creature he saw.

Her name was Hiena, from what she told Larry, and her carriage got bogged down a little ways away in the forest. Even though the woman's dress was trimmed with mud and her hair was a mess, Karasu could still see her confident beauty. She had peach-like skin with pink accents to her cheeks. Her eyes were strange, being ruby red, but her hair was even more bizarre. Most of her waist-length tresses were black, but the tips were blue and her bangs had occasional flecks of white in them—

Kurisha scrunched her nose. "... Dad, did you turn uncle Hiei into a girl?"

"... Maybe?" Karasu tapped his fingers nervously. He was bad at making up new characters. Wasn't that obvious from the last fairy tale? "OK, so I did."

"He'd soooo beat you up." Hione giggled.

"Yeah, yeah. Can I continue now?" The girls nodded, so he picked back up...

-*~^~*- End of Part One. -*~^~*-


	2. Tormented by the other Beauty

-*~^~*- Beauty and the Beast -*~^~*-

-*~^~*- Part Two -*~^~*-

"I'm just SO sorry I bothered you like this." Hiena offered a small, embarrassed smile.

Karasu seemed to be the only one affected by her charm, because Larry just gave a disappointed grunt and headed back inside.

The woman watched him, a tad confused. Karasu stepped forward and offered her a smile. "... Would you like to come in? If so, you may even stay here until you can find a way to get back home."

Hiena blushed and glanced over her shoulder. "But—"

"I will send someone to fetch your things." He offered his hand, and she took it before letting herself be led inside. Karasu walked slowly, and smiled as the woman cooed over how beautiful the castle was. Why the sudden charm? Well, he did offer to find Yoko a suitable partner. Here a young, beautiful woman just happened upon the castle's front steps. Even a doubtful goth like Karasu could still understand that, sometimes, fate actually does decide to step in and play her part to help those in need. A cursed king, plus a fair young lady; problem solved.

His thoughts were interrupted when Hiena pulled him to a stop and giggled over a large fireplace. "This castle is AMAAAAZING! You live here? Do you own this place?"

Karasu watched her with an amused smile. "Well, no. King Yoko does, and I am afraid he is away at the moment. Would you like some tea?" He led her to the kitchen and waited as Yukina, the main maid, prepared them a light treat.

They sat together for quite some time and conversed with each other. Hiena occasionally stopped talking to marvel even more about the castle. When she was not distracted, the woman told Karasu about herself. So far, he understood that she had never been a hooker. That was good. She never drank, she never stole anything, and she had never killed anyone. After drilling her on those facts, they moved onto family. Apparently, she had three brothers and a mom. Her dad left when she was rather young, but she did not mind. Her mother raised her and her brothers, though she figured that the youngest brother hated her for SOME unknown reason.

When the woman asked Karasu about his family, he politely refused to tell, and urged her on with her own story.

Hiena had been in love with a man only once. From what she told Karasu, the male left her and took some of her family jewels with him. Karasu frowned at this, but again asked for even more information.

She loved to read, which shocked the male to hear. When Karasu tried to debate with her about a book though, the girl suddenly became distracted with her teacup, so the raven switched topics once more.

Over the next four or five hours of talking, with a small lunch break in the midst, the raven concluded that Hiena actually might just be a good match for Yoko. She was sweet, bubbly, and she was built for the high life. The visitor was rather noble, and certainly beautiful. The only issue he could see was that she did not like animals, but since she would never see Yoko it hardly mattered, he would love her anyway. His suspicions were only confirmed when Yoko's deep, fox-like purr echoed through the castle. "Karasu..."

Karasu blinked and dropped his spoon. He turned his head up at what looked like the bell from a phonograph jutting from the wall, up near the ceiling. He looked at Hiena, then jumped when Yoko's voice called out to him. "Karasu... could I see you a moment? NOW?"

The raven politely excused himself, then rose to his feet to follow the fox's demand. Once he reached Yoko's disaster of a room, he blinked and gestured over his shoulder. "What in the world..?"

Yoko shuffled from the far corner, which was now lit from the fading daylight. He moved away from a plethora of several different copper sound pipes. "They all lead to the main rooms, in case I need anything. I was... rather lazy as a human."

Karasu shook his head. "Alright, so what do you want?"

If foxes could blush, Karasu surely would have seen it. "Who... is that girl?"

"Oooh, you like her then?" His friend grinned and folded his long arms. "Her name is Hiena, a noble girl from a few villages west. She was going home from a vacation, but her carriage bogged down in the woods. We have already brought her horse to the stables, and her room is being prepared as we speak. Also, she likes mysterious dates, so I think you have a good shot with her. I already have an idea for how you two can spend time alone without her seeing you."

The fox stared at him and tried to think on what to say. "I... t—"

"Don't thank me. I'm just doing my 'job.' I told you I would help you get a girl, so I will. If you ever need me to ask her about anything, or fix up a date for you, just tell me. I already have your first date planned."

Yoko gave an odd, toothy grin. It was a bit scary. Just a bit. "... Thank you."

Karasu offered a humble, slightly mocking bow. "Of course, my lord~"

At that, the raven took his leave and made his way back to the main room. The beast loved the beauty already, but how could he get the beauty interested...?

o o o

The ordeal would obviously not be that hard, as Karasu discovered when he re-entered the dining hall. He found Hiena standing in front of Yoko's portrait, her eyes gleaming at the King's old form. When she saw the raven return, she instantly blushed. "Is... is this King Yoko? He... he's so handsome! Could I meet him?"

He had to think of a lie, quick. "... Yes, Madam Hiena. You can meet him, but I am afraid you will not be able to _SEE_ him. You see..." Karasu licked his lips. Time to b.s. his way out of an awkward fan-girl moment. "Yoko was in love once, a very deep love. The girl adored his face so much, that she could not stand to be away from him. She looked upon him every day and even failed to eat her meals or sleep. Eventually, though, she grew ill and passed on." What in the world was this mess he was spouting? Despite his deep-hearted protests, his mouth continued with the false back-story. "The king was so distraught, he sent everyone away from the castle and locked himself in the tower. Now he never lets anyone see his face. He is too afraid of how they will react and I am the only one allowed to see him." Ugh, Karasu, all the books you read and this is what you come up with?

Somehow, the obvious lie seemed to satisfy Hiena's curiosity. She brought both hands to her mouth with a low, pitiful gasp. "Awww, that poor man..."

_She bought that? Really?_ Karasu gave a lukewarm smile. "Yes... so, you will be able to have dinner with him, if you like, but I am afraid he will be concealed. He is such a shy creature. You understand, right?"

"Oh my gosh, of course! But... I... will get to meet him?" Another blush rose to her cheeks.

The raven chuckled. "Yes, you will. Tonight, as soon as dinner is prepared." He gave a humble bow and gestured to the exit. "I'll show you your room so you can get cleaned up. Follow me."

While Hiena was primping herself in her new room, Karasu immediately went to Larry. Without bothering to say hi, he went over and showed a list to the man. "I need these things, can you get them?"

Larry blinked and set aside a ruler to look, fixing his blue eyes to the paper. "Ohdear. What on Earth do you need tents for?"

"Don't ask questions, just get them. They need to be at least fifteen feet tall, and possibly just as wide. I want one set up in the dining hall, another in the garden, and one in the fields. Include tea placements with these, if you please. Also, make sure Yoko's room is complete within the next two days."

Larry nodded and continued over the list. "All this silly stuff looks like romantic cozy things. A large white carriage, dining tents, sashes, and sweets?" He blushed and covered his heart. "Awww, Kara baby, I had no idea—"

"It's for Yoko and Hiena!" Karasu hissed. "JUST HAVE IT DONE. Get me in the morning when you're ready to start on Yoko's room. DO NOT go in there before I do. Are we clear?" Without waiting for an answer, Karasu strolled away to find Yukina. Larry puffed out his bottom lip, but did as he was told.

With the entire team of maids working quickly, dinner still took about three hours to complete. The edge of the dining hall was decorated specially for the two to enjoy their meal together. Hiena's space was placed at the far end near the painting, and behind her was a large, makeshift creation of curtains. They blocked off one of the doors that led outside, as well as Yoko's painting. Everyone found it odd that Yoko was trying so desperately to remain unseen, but the Raven just reiterated the fake story he told Hiena when they asked. Eventually everyone just stopped asking, and Karasu left to find the furry king.

When he found him, the beast did not look well. "What in the world are you doing?"

Yoko peered at him through blurry eyes. He was upside down with his head to the floor and his fluffy rump was bent up the wall. "... a guru once told me this could help me relax... I... think it only works as a human."

Karasu closed his eyes, sighed, then went over to him. "You are acting so silly. Relax, everything will be fine."

"What if she screams?" The raven gave him a sharp push and the beast's legs flopped over, leaving him on his side. He raised his head, ears drooped. "She could see me and scream, Karasu."

"That is why we will not let her see you." Even as he said that, the male found himself trying to smooth out the fox king's fur. When he finally realized how pointless it was, he stopped and folded his hands behind his back. "Just go outside and enter through the blocked door. I will open it for you and stand outside the curtain to make sure no-one sees. Sound alright?"

"But my voice—"

"Is FINE. Some women dig that gruffy, older male sound."

Yoko lowered his head with a shy growl, then rose to his feet. After a bit of mental debating, he nodded. "L... let's do this!"

o o o

Once everything was set up properly for the evening, and Yoko was safely in his white bungalow of blankets, Karasu waved everyone away and locked each of the doors but the one to the kitchen. He warned everyone not to enter, and stated that he would handle all the affairs. Begrudgingly, the servants agreed and kept their distance.

Hiena was shown into the room, and Karasu smiled over to her. "Well, aren't you just beautiful."

The woman blushed and raised a hand to her cheek. As she stepped close, Karasu slipped his fingers into the folds of the curtain and opened them slightly for Yoko to view. The fox sighed at how stunning she looked, dressed in a fine golden gown. Her hair free-fell about her shoulders, and her face was made up with rather simple cosmetics, which only made her natural beauty shine all the more. The king even found himself stepping backwards as she came closer. He did not know if it was from fear of being close to a woman, or just that her beauty shocked him that much.

Karasu did not dabble on how she looked, he just wished she would walk faster. _Even though her steps are light, those heels are still annoying, jeeze._ Karasu was... not a happy camper. He wanted this date over with so he might actually get a proper night of sleep. All the same, he gave one of his most sugary smiles and gestured to the candlelit table while pulling back her chair. "Miss Hiena, if you please."

"Why thank you, Karasu!" Elegantly, the woman collected her gown and placed herself into the chair. Karasu raised a brow at the princess demeanor, but decided to let it be. "Miss Hiena, this handsome fellow hidden behind you is King Yoko. Say hi, your majesty." Karasu nearly puked at his own sugar-coated words.

Yoko nervously fidgeted behind the veils. _What should I say? She's so beautiful and I... I can't... _He backed away and raised his fluffy torso, pressing his back to the opposite wall.

Karasu frowned, then gave Hiena a polite smile. "Poor thing is shy. I'll get him for you, until then, dinner is served!" He reached over to a tray and placed a small soup in front of the female. She thanked him, and the "butler" quickly turned to the curtains. He passed through and snapped them shut behind him. It was rather dark, but he knew the fox could see his glare without the light. "Yoko, what the HELL."

"Shhhhh!" Yoko dropped his front paws back to the floor. "I... I'm just... I can't..."

The raven tried to keep his voice low. "You CAN and you WILL. Start talking or she'll leave. How can you expect her to stay if you will not interact with her? Now SAY something!"

Yoko ducked his head low, but shuffled lightly over the floor. He placed his muzzle to the rug, his nose almost poking free from the curtain. "... H-hello, Lady Hiena..."

Hiena jumped a bit, but then she turned. She could not see anything, but she offered a smile all the same. "Hello, your majesty. Are you alright?" She watched as Karasu emerged from the far end of the curtains and listened for the voice again, just to make sure she was not being tricked.

Karasu stayed silent, and Yoko spoke again. "Just... sort-of. You're just so radiant that I cannot seem to think of what to say to you... I only wish I could see you closer." _Ugh, Yoko! She probably thinks you are cheesy now, what in the heck was THAT?_ The Fox growled in his own mind.

His new friend thought the same thing and turned his head to keep from laughing at the fox. Hiena smiled, though, and turned in her seat. She placed her hands to the back of the chair and stared the curtain down. "You are TOO sweet! How fortunate I am to have a handsome king praising me."

The raven nearly lost it with laughter and covered his mouth. Yoko heard a small snicker, but paid it no mind. Instead, he rose to his feet, feeling much more confident. "Hiena, please tell me about yourself..."

The next hour passed far too slow for Karasu's taste. Hiena barely touched her meal and instead chose to spend her time speaking with the fox. She and Yoko chittered back and forth like birds in spring, conveying their likes, dislikes, and their hobbies. Karasu listened, and heard that Yoko was fond of books, he just slowly lost interest because he could not find the time to read them. Right after the mention, Hiena promptly said that she lost interest in books, too.

The raven stopped, a sugar canister in his hand. He stared at the back of Hiena's head. "... You told me you LIKE to read."

The girl tensed a bit, but turned to him with a little chuckle, like a mother to her clueless child. "No, silly. I said I DIDN'T. Why do you think I tried to avoid talking about books with you?" She turned back to the curtain and struck up another topic with the king.

Karasu frowned. She remembered the conversation well enough to point out that she evaded him, but not that she was wrong? ... Then again, he was rather tired lately, maybe he did hear incorrectly. He shrugged it off and went back to preparing tea for her.

The two continued, and Karasu noticed that the fox king moved onto a subject the raven figured he would avoid. He wasn't even subtle about it; the idiot beast just blurted "Do you like foxes?"

His "butler" face-palmed and Hiena just blinked at the curtains. "... Foxes? What an odd question... Do YOU like them?"

"Of course I do!" The king hummed back at her.

What she said next really made the raven frown. "Well good, cause I do, too! I just love animals, they're soooo cute!"

Karasu gave her an incredulous stare and set aside the tea. He laid his hands to the table and leaned down slightly with a low tone in his voice. "But you said that you—"

"Y'know, mister Karasu, I'm actually not that hungry, so could I have some private time with King Yoko?" She did not look at him, and Karasu seriously wondered if she even thought he was worth a glance.

His frown deepened. "Thanks, but I have to stay here for Y—"

"Actually, Karasu... could we have a moment alone, please?" Yoko piqued from his bungalow.

Un-frickin-believable.

Karasu turned his gaze to the curtain for a moment, but then he pushed away from the table and headed towards the kitchen's door. Hiena giggled behind him and the raven scowled.

To calm himself, Karasu headed straight for the library. He ignored the servants, (especially Larry), as he passed, and grumbled lowly under his breath. He could hear perfectly fine; Hiena said she loved to read, but hated animals. There was no way he mixed them up, the raven had a fairly nice memory. For some reason Hiena lied. What in the world would she lie about books and animals for? Those are such petty things to deceive people with!

He stopped at the large double doors and sighed while he pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a few calming breaths, then went inside and closed the doors behind himself. He needed to become distracted from all this stress, and a nice novel should help him accomplish that.

o o o

Unintentionally, the raven ended up falling asleep on the third floor of the library. He was curled up on a chaise lounge sofa, huddled against the raised, red-coated back. He held a horror novel to his breast and breathed deeply, caught in a nice, relaxing slumber for once.

The peace ended when, at the crack of dawn, Yoko roughly pressed his nose into Karasu's side to wake him. "Karasu! Get up! Karasu!"

The raven groaned and moved a hand to his face. Another session of sleep, incomplete. "Hmmnnnn... what?" He grumbled and rubbed at his violet eyes.

The fox wiggled eagerly and raised himself, dropping his front paws onto the thin man. Karasu hissed and coiled from the impact, so Yoko withdrew his paws and twirled around. "Sorry! I'm just so excited!"

Still not entirely awake, the tall male just hummed and lazily drug his feet off the sofa to rest them on the floor. He stretched his arms overhead, only to drop them onto Yoko's face when the beast tried to nuzzle him for attention. Karasu whined and pushed at his head. "Stoooop... I'm moving... Jeeze..."

"Karasu, you have to set up another date! PLEASE!" Yoko ignored the man's protests and placed a massive paw to his chest.

The raven felt the air rush from his lungs as he was squished to the couch and coughed. "W-what...?"

"A date with Hienaaaaa!" Yoko released him and spun again. He looked like a puppy trying to chase his tail.

At mention of her name, the gothic male glared. "... Stop that before you knock over the books."

The beast caught his glare and froze. He laid down on the floor, sure that the hateful stare was for him. "... sorry for smothering you."

Karasu just frowned at him, none-too-happy. How could this jerk just dismiss him like that and then expect him to help again? Just because he was a king did not mean he had to treat him like some regular servant! Specially not for a stupid girl!

He rubbed his brow then dropped his hand to say just that, but he caught Yoko's sad, golden eyes. Instantly, all his protests melted from the raven's mind. He could tell Yoko really was sorry and... maybe he was just too excited over speaking with a girl to really see how stressful it was to him. Besides, this was about Yoko, and obviously the fox was in love with this girl. You don't tackle grown men and nuzzle at their chest unless you are crazy over love.

Regretfully, the male bit his tongue on the issues, and switched statements to please Yoko. "... Another date. Sure. I was thinking the garden, how about you? They should have the tents set up soon."

Pleased with the change, Yoko picked his head up. His tail thumped eagerly against the floor. "The garden sounds lovely. Could we do it in the daytime?"

"I was thinking moonlight." The male rubbed his face.

Yoko tilted his head. "Hnnn... at night? Isn't it too creepy for girls at night?"

Karasu resisted the urge to smack him. "I'll ask her what she wants. Okay?"

"AWESOME." Yoko jumped to his feet and turned towards the stairs. "Oh, and please apologize to her. You made her upset last night by mixing up what she said."

Before Karasu could answer, the fox swept down the stairs and rushed away. It was probably best he did not hear his reply, because the stream of words that came from Karasu's mouth was nooooot pretty.

o o o

Luckily for Hiena, the woman was still asleep and Karasu could not get to her. Instead, he settled for Larry and decided to get a head start on Yoko's room. He really wanted to go see his father, but at this point the emotional trauma would most likely cause him to seriously snap black-haired-Barbie's head off.

He needed to keep his mind occupied. He wanted to be there for Sakyo, but if he hovered near the dying man then Karasu just might lose faith. Sakyo would make it, surely. Even if today was the "marked" day...

_No, don't think about that, keep busy_, the raven told himself.

While the crew worked at Yoko's room, Karasu stayed just outside the door and stood on the open-air bridge to the tower. He looked down to the garden and saw that a new tea-table was indeed set up, complete with a large tent in place of one of the chairs. He leaned forward and wrapped his thin arms around a window beam, his mind lost in thought. How long had Yoko even been here? Electricity was a relatively new appliance in the past ten years, but the dust in this place collected as if it had been here for five decades. This mess could not have happened in just ten years, right?

He dabbled on the thought and lightly drew his fingertip through a patch of "snow" on the open windowpane. The false flurries instantly faded away within a three-foot radius of his touch. He blinked, then touched another patch of snow until it, too, faded. He continued this, until the entire bridge was snow free. Then he chuckled. "I could always get a better job as a snow-plower, I guess. Let Larry handle the dates."

Larry poked out his head from Yoko's room, hearing the call. "What honey-bunny?"

"Nothing, get back to work." Karasu barely grinned and Larry did as he was told. Feeling a bit better, the raven turned his head to the landscape and looked out at the forest surrounding the castle. Everywhere he gazed there were things covered in false snow. Each treetop from the forest, even those miles away, were shrouded with white. Karasu found that strange, since he did not see any flurries on the way over. Surely they would have. But, then again, he was asleep most of the carriage ride.

The snow was not falling as it usually did, and Karasu found that odd as well. Even stranger, was the large puff of twisting white flakes that seemed to roam through the forest. Occasionally it would stop and various birds would dart from the trees to get away from it, but then it would continue on in an awkward bound. Like a jumping rabbit.

Karasu smiled. Well, Yoko was easy to spot from the tower, that's for sure. Apparently, the curse really thought it necessary to actually follow the beast and torture him with snowfall. It may not be amusing to Yoko, but the raven certainly had a laugh while watching the snow-cloud bounce around through the trees.

He looked up when he heard a chorus of chimes from inside the castle. Noon. Surely Hiena was awake by now, unless the diva wanted more sleep. Karasu sighed and shook his head. No, stop being mean. She probably had her reasons. Just go talk to her.

After another quick look at the bouncing snow-fox, Karasu turned and headed off to find Hiena. Larry could be trusted on his own with Yoko outside the castle.

o o o

Hiena didn't even look away from her mirror when Karasu entered. She just continued to mess with her hair, still in her slumber clothes. "Well, I do hope you had a nice rest. You were so grumpy last night."

Karasu frowned and closed the door behind himself. "... You DID change what you said, and you know it."

At first, the girl did not move, but then she lowered her arms and casted him a guilty stare. "... Alright, I did. But wouldn't you lie to impress someone you like? If it makes you feel better, I'll tell him the truth. I hate books, and animals are gross." She turned back to the mirror.

The raven fidgeted nervously. Well... yeah, he could understand that. "Alright..." He sighed. "Sorry I got testy. Things have been rather annoying around here, so..."

"Aww, it's okay Karasu. Just don't do it again." She smiled, a bit more smugly than was necessary, and finally rose from her chair. Karasu turned his gaze. Her robe was rather short for such a proper woman. She stepped over to him and took his hands in hers. "You are soooo sweet for introducing me to Yoko! He asked me to stay, y'know? How cool is that?"

"Yeah, uh, that's great." The man kept his eyes high, concentrated on her face and nothing lower. "Glad I could help..."

Hiena's smile gradually morphed to a small smirk. Karasu frowned, but she just lightly patted her hands to his chest. "Honey, I need a favor... I can't stay here unless I have proper clothes... could you possibly find new dresses for me? I barely have any from my vacation."

The request was normal enough, but for some reason a chill went down the Raven's spine. That was probably due to her constantly lowering hands. He backed away with an awkward cough and nodded. "Sure... uh... what size?"

She frowned as he pulled away, but just shook her head. "No idea! You could take one of my other dresses and have them made to that size?"

"But... I don't know your style..."

She folded her arms and tapped a finger to her lips. "Something... sexy."

Karasu gulped and nodded. Hiena wandered away to find the right dress, then carried it to him. "Here, darling. I trust you with this." She winked.

The tall male raised a brow and took the dress. "... Why can't you do it?"

She gasped and covered her chest. "And leave Yoko here? What if he wants to see me? No, no, you have to do it! I want to stay here with my cuddle-bear."

The nickname nearly made him puke, but Karasu nodded all the same and opened the door. "I'll see what I can do... Yoko favors white and silver, so—"

"Then go ahead!" She clapped her hands together. "You go riiiight ahead and tailor some cute things that the King would like. I want him to simply ADORE me!"

That was a bit of a conceited remark, but Karasu just nodded once more and made a move to leave. He stopped. "Oh, and before I forget. Would you rather a date with Yoko at day or night?"

Hiena mulled the question over, then smiled. "Sunset. I would like for it to be at sunset. This evening?"

"Yep. Well, I'll go tell Yukina before I leave. I'll be back in a few hours." He quickly exited the room before she could reply, and took off down the stairs.

o o o

For the most part, Karasu was excited to leave the castle again. There were many reasons why, but again he tried not to think of them.

Sometimes, though, certain things cannot be avoided. Sooner or later, something a person cannot stand will sneak up on them and test their heart, just like for Karasu. When he arrived, Larry greeted him at the door. The man seemed somewhat happy, but more anxious than anything. More like he was trying to smile for Karasu's sake.

The raven slid down from Angel's back and stared at the designer. "... What? Why are you looking at me like that?" He feared he already knew.

"Now... try not to get upset, Kara-baby... but..." He turned slightly and gestured to the higher levels of the castle. "The man you were with, he..."

Instantly, Karasu rushed past Larry and ran straight for the stairs. He nearly slipped a few times, but he didn't care. _There's no way he could have... he just couldn't..._ Panting, the raven threw open his and Sakyo's bedroom door. _Father couldn't be..._

... Awake?

Karasu stood there, slouched against the doorway and his eyes glued on the thin, older male.

Sakyo stared back, looking more confused than Karasu. Millian had him in an upright position and surrounded by food, though he barely touched any of it. His cheeks were sullen, but had a much healthier glow to them than before.

Karasu didn't know what to think. Instead, he broke into a smile and rushed over. "F-father!"

Sakyo blinked and leaned away when the raven reached for him. "What? W-who are you?"

Stunned from the question, Karasu immediately halted at his father's bedside. Did his father really... just ask who he was?

". . . Eh. . . kid, let me explain..." Doctor Millian swept over and took hold of Karasu's arm.

The raven kept his gaze on Sakyo as he was pulled from the room and broke his stare only when Millian forced the door closed. He reached out and numbly felt at the wood of the door. "... What... what's wrong with him? Did he...?"

"Forget? I'm afraid so. I'm not sure if it's permanent, but yes, he doesn't remember you at the moment." The frog-man lightly dusted himself off. "The best we can do is make him feel comfortable and try to jog his memory. I wouldn't get my hopes up, though. The chances of him recovering ar—hey!"

Karasu ignored him, and once again entered the room. Although it nearly killed him, the crow greeted Sakyo with a warm smile. "I'm sorry... I am just so glad that you are finally awake." He bent in a humble bow. "I am your... your manservant... You may call me Karasu."

"Oh..?" Sakyo chuckled weakly. "Well, alright then, Karasu. Could you help me eat? That silly doctor of yours nearly caused me to choke."

Dr. Millian growled from the hallway. Karasu closed the door on him and nodded to his father with a broken smile. "Yes, of course, Mister Sakyo..."

The next hour was very taxing on the raven's heart. He tried to remain as quiet as possible, worried that he might say something to upset Sakyo. Millian said that he needed to remain comfortable. So, he fed his "former" father in silence, and tried his hardest to think of happier events. However, a man in love is hard to ignore... especially when it is your ill father.

You see, not all of Sakyo's memories were lost, but that probably would have been best. Instead, the mortician's mind reverted back to the time before Karasu was born; a time where he was still trying to court Karasu's deceased mother.

It pained him to listen, as his father spoke about one day marrying a woman that would never be seen again. He held his tongue, mostly to keep from crying, as Sakyo explained how beautiful his mother was and how he could never love another.

"She is the kindest creature, I swear. I happened upon her when she stopped to save a kitten from the gutter; such a loving woman." Sakyo smiled, and halted Karasu's hand when the raven tried to offer more food. Karasu looked away, but Sakyo still held his mirth. "I'm going to marry her, right at her mother's cabin in the forest, in a field of roses, just you wait and see!"

That... was all he could take.

Karasu forced a smile and then laid down his spoon. "Forgive me, but I have other members of the castle to tend to. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. I will send a maid to the room to check on you each hour."

Sakyo blinked when the man rose to his feet, then nodded. "Oh, alright. Shall I see you again soon?"

At first, Karasu desperately wanted to say no, but instead he offered a hollow smile. "Of course. Any time you wish, just send for me."

With that, he gave another bow and quickly left the room. He didn't even look at Millian as he passed, and instead went straight to the kitchen. He needed to get back to work, anything to get his mind off of his father's condition.

o o o

Sunset came rather quickly, as Karasu prepared for his king's date. Everything was set up, aside from the main man himself. Hiena was in her room, fawning over her new dresses, so Karasu took to searching for the fox. He found the creature already in the garden, clumsily hidden in the snow.

On a normal day, Karasu would have smiled, but he just blankly stared at the lump of fluff. "... What are you doing?"

"... Waiting. Shh." Yoko didn't lift his head.

"... There IS a tent, you know..." The raven gestured over his shoulder towards a lattice table, already set and lavished with lit candles. The king's tent was erected just beside the dinner setting.

"Is anyone around?"

"... No. Only me."

Quick as a flash, the fox uncurled himself and dashed into the safety of his tent, the silk fabric fluttering behind him. "There were servants out here a few minutes ago, so I tried to blend in until they left. I was too scared to look up and be sure, though." He nervously peeked a golden eye from behind the curtains. "Thank you again, for doing all this. But... how is your father? I've heard rumors..."

Karasu ignored the question, and instead busied himself with the table setting. "If you're ready, then we can go ahead and bring Lady Hiena over." With that, he went to the garden's entrance to speak with a fellow servant. Shortly after, Hiena arrived, dressed from head to toe in white silk with a glittery silver trim. The raven swore he heard a flustered statement from the fox's tent.

The girl smiled as Karasu led her over and helped her into the only chair. "Hello, King Yoko. Did you have a good night's rest?"

"E-ehm... fine... just fine..."

Of course, many other words were said, but Karasu tried to keep his mind off of their conversation. After he laid out their meal, the crow excused himself and quickly retreated to another corner of the garden. He eventually came across an overgrown briar bush of roses, and tiredly slipped underneath them. At this point, he wondered if even the roses could lift his spirits, but he lay beneath them all the same. He looked up through the various twigs and blooms, completely at a loss.

"I don't know what to do... mother..." He reached up towards a snow-covered rose in desperation. "What if he... if he never remembers..."

The raven paused; when he touched the rose the false snow melted away as it did before, and half of the rose bush cleared away as well. Without the extra fluff, more of the setting sunlight was allowed to pour between the foliage and reach the young male.

That brought a smile to the raven's face, and he calmly closed his eyes. "... Alright, I get it, mom... It looks bad, but it will get better, right?" He frowned a bit, and brought up a hand to rub his brow. "But... I need help. I don't think I can handle any more of this... I've never felt this alone before, mother."

"KARASUUUU!"

He sighed, and crawled from under the rose bush. He brushed himself off, then went back to the two individuals flirting in the garden. "You called, Lady Hiena?"

She held up a teacup. "There is a chip in this cup, Karasu. Could you please give me another?"

He blinked and leaned in to look. The smallest, barely noticeable chip stared back at him. "Can't you just use it anyway?"

"I might forget where it is and have it cut my lip!" She frowned.

Rather than argue, Karasu called for another teacup to be brought over and switched them out.

"That will be all!" The woman smiled and took a sip of her newly fetched tea. There was no sound of thanks, (nor defense,) from the king's tent, which really annoyed Karasu.

All the same, he nodded and left the table. It seemed a shame to waste perfectly fine tea, so he instead drank from the chipped cup. What a spoiled brat, that girl was...

o o o

And he thought that whining over a small chip was annoying? No, Hiena had yet to show her true colors.

Early the next morning, she summoned for Karasu and waited for him at the stables. The raven looked dead on his feet, but she ignored that fact and folded her arms. "Karasu, honey, we have a problem."

"What is it, Lady Hiena?" He yawned and rubbed at his face.

"I am simply terrible at horse-back riding, so I want to try and improve. However, I do not like your horse, and I do not think she likes me."

Angel agreed, which was apparent from the loud snort and whinny she gave. Karasu smiled, he really loved that horse.

He looked to the steed that Hiena's carriage arrived with and pointed to it. "Why not use the black stallion?"

"Are you insane? It could kill me!"

Again, the mentioned animal agreed. They were really good judges of character.

"I need a calmer horse, a sophisticated mare." She gestured to herself, as if she were too royal to bother with a wild creature like the stallion.

Karasu sighed and rubbed his temple, he knew what she meant. "What color?"

"White. With a golden mane, if you please."

So, Karasu went to obtain a new horse.

When he returned, Hiena took one look at the horse and turned her head. "It looks completely ragged!"

He looked at the beautiful mare and frowned. "Just what about this horse is ragged? She's gorgeous."

"Hellooo!" Hiena pointed to the beast's mane. "Unbraided mane and tail, no saddle, un-shined hooves, and that breath is just horrid!"

Karasu and the horse both stared at her in amazement. She went from spoiled brat to diva in just one night, how well did that date go exactly?

"... Well? I can excuse the hooves and bad breath, but at least fix its hair and give it a saddle! A lady cannot ride bareback, I'm sure even **you** know that."

_Even _**I**_ know that?_ The raven really did not like her tone, but he sighed and set to braiding the horse's golden hair. When he finished, he took up a saddle from the stables and fixed it to the fine creature's back before he tried to present her again.

Hiena didn't even look. "I don't like that saddle... is there a way we can get another one? Gold-colored, maybe?"

It took all of Karasu's mental power to keep from slapping her. He looked at the new horse, then mounted her to ride into town, his second trip that morning.

He returned a few hours later with a large, overly glorified saddle in his lap, but he really did not expect the scene he came across. He stopped and blinked down at the line of animals Hiena had gathered from the castle grounds. Each of them looked... ridiculous.

She must have been bored, or insulted that animals would dare to run around naked in front of her, because each of the creatures were fitted with some type of attire. Chickens with coat-less lapels, a squirrel with a fluffy white shirt, and for some reason a llama. The llama was more nicely suited, with a small monocle, top hat, and a rather comfortable-looking waistcoat.

In response to his new style, the llama blew an undignified wad of snot to the ground.

"What... in the world?"

"You took too long, so I thought of something else to do," Hiena calmly stated from her seating area. She had the servants lug over the table from the garden and fix her lunch. As of the moment, she was sipping tea as she looked over the dresses held out to her. "That one is too green. I don't like it."

The unfortunate maid holding the green dress bowed and took it away.

With a scowl, Karasu climbed down from the new horse's back and went over to her. "Hiena, this is too-"

"Oh! They're here!" The girl jumped up from her seat and gathered her skirts. She jogged over towards an upcoming line of carriages with a smile.

Confused, Karasu followed after her as the entourage pulled to a stop at the castle's main entrance. He approached the first carriage and tried to peer into the window, but was promptly knocked to the ground by the carriage door. He groaned and rubbed his nose as a tall woman stepped from the buggy.

The Lady looked down at him, then placed her hands to her hips. "I say! Does all the help around here just laze around in the dirt? Be useful and take my bag, will you?" She pulled a large purse from the carriage and tossed it into Karasu's lap.

The male groaned at the weight before he pushed it off and staggered to his feet. He noticed three other people leave their carriages, but he seemed more interested in why they were there instead of who they were. "W-what-"

"Mommyyy!" Hiena giggled and dove at the woman.

"Awww, princeeeess!" The lady responded, and wrapped her arms tightly around the girl. "How has my sweet little girly-girl beeeeen?"

"Great, momma!" Hiena offered her most charming smile.

Karasu went to say something but he was thrown off as more bags were tossed into his arms. He stumbled against the luggage and watched as two boys went over to join the hug-fest.

"Yusukeee~ Kuwabaraaa!" Hiena giggled and pulled them close.

"Will anyone tell me what the he—ah!" Karasu fell backward when the carriage drivers tossed more bags and cases his way. Thankfully, the fourth member of their party stopped the raven's fall. He looked up to the person in question with a "thank you" at the ready, but stopped when he saw their face.

"Oh... uhm... hi." A pale man smiled down to him, and Karasu could have sworn he was just meeting a twin. This newcomer had the same hair and eyes, and was nearly the same height as the raven. "Uh, don't worry... I'll help you with those."

A helpful, gothic, servant-boy? Hey, maybe they _were_ twins!

Karasu sighed at the good news and allowed himself to be rightened back onto his feet. "Thanks... Why are you guys here, anyway?"

"Oh, uh... my name is Kuronue, by the way, in case you felt like knowing; and we were invited." The man gave a lukewarm smile and pointed towards Hiena. "Family, and all that."

Karasu stared at him, then looked towards the cuddle-bunch. "You... are related to THAT?"

"Yeeeaah... sadly." Kuronue chuckled and Karasu smiled.

"What are you two standing around for, honestly!" Hiena's mother hissed over at the raven-haired pair. "Carry our bags inside and show us to our rooms! How rude can you be?"

"Sorry," the two chorused, even though neither of them had done anything wrong. They looked at each other, then smiled as the other group went ahead into the castle.

"I'm Karasu." He held out his hand to shake with Kuronue's. The two leaned over and gathered up all the bags they could carry before they tried to lug the mess up the steps. "So you're related to them? How?"

Kuronue sighed. "Hiena's brother..."

"And she treats you like this? And your mom, really?"

"Yeah... I'm kinda the failure of the family, y'know? The one that actually likes to read and doesn't only care for money?"

Karasu stopped and frowned at him. "What?"

"Oh, you know. We're rich. Mom would do anything for money, really. She's gotten so many divorces, it's crazy. Hiena already tried once, but y'know..."

"She told me that he left her and took everything with him..."

Kuronue stopped, too, and looked at him. "No he didn't. She crushed the poor guy after the wedding and took all the gifts for herself." He rolled his eyes. "But of course she'd lie to you. You're living in a castle."

As Kuronue continued on with his share of the luggage, Karasu stayed behind and stared after him. He knew Hiena was a liar, but that was just awful. He wondered if he should even tell Yoko.

He blinked, then dropped the luggage with a scowl.

o o o

"YOKO!" The raven furiously tossed open the king's bedroom doors. He barely paused at the new decor, then stomped over to the bed. "YOKO! Wake the hell up!"

The fox yelped when Karasu yanked at his tail, and whirled around. "T-that hu-"

"You INVITED her family without telling me! When were you going to let me know? I expect you want me to tend to every single one of them on my own, HUH?" Karasu jammed his finger into the fox's thigh.

The king whined and shrank away. "I-I was going to tell you but you went to bed early! And then Hiena called you down before I woke up and you spent the day with her, so-"

Karasu growled. "Do you have any idea just how frickin' ANNOYING that woman IS?"

The beast rose up a bit, suddenly on the defensive. "Don't you DARE say that about her! Hiena is perfect, why would you say that, Karasu?"

The raven opened his mouth to respond, but stopped. He forced his eyes closed and turned away from the bed, lost in thought. For the second time, he had to remind himself that this relationship wasn't about what he felt; this was to break the king's curse. Yoko obviously loved the girl, so maybe, in time, she would love him, too? Spoiled brats can fall in love!

... Right?

After a moment of deep breathing, he looked back to the fox. "... Sorry. Forget I said anything, I'm just... under a lot of pressure." He pointed an accusing finger at the beast before he could speak. "Don't invite anymore guests without telling me. I know this is your castle, but frankly if you want me to help then you'll have to tell me these things beforehand. Do you have any idea how stressful it is to keep your curse in the dark?"

Yoko instantly lowered his chin to the bed. "I'm sorry. Never again, I got it..." He meekly glanced up with pitiful, golden eyes. How in the world could anyone remain hostile with those bright eyes pointed on them?

The raven gave a light, defeated smile, and reached out to place his hands over Yoko's folded ears. He knelt down next to the bed and patted the fox king's face. "Well... I suppose I could forgive you..."

The beast shuffled forward and pressed his nose to Karasu's forehead. His servant leaned away at the touch, but Yoko just growled playfully and nuzzled again. He could tell something more was wrong with the raven. "What else?"

The human frowned and closed his eyes. He let the beast rub his nose into his dark hair. If it weren't for the man being in the form of a giant, dog-like creature, Karasu would have punched him. "... What do you mean what else? That's all I wanted to talk about..."

Not satisfied with the answer, Yoko lifted a paw from the bed and clumsily flopped it over Karasu's shoulder. That was the best back pat he could manage. "I've been hearing things about your father. Did he really... die?"

"No!" The raven snapped and glared at him. "He's alive. Don't even suggest something like that!"

"Okay, okay!" The cursed king nuzzled again. "Calm down, I was just wondering... I'm glad he's fine."

After a moment of awkward silence, the raven male sighed and dropped his face into the bed. His words were muffled, but Yoko understood them just fine. "He's not alright... he doesn't remember me at all. He only remembers everything b-before... he married mom..."

The fox nodded and draped his other paw around Karasu's shoulders. The human squirmed at first, but let the king smother him. Yoko buried his nose into the man's back with a light, sympathetic growl. "... Well at least he's awake. That's the best we could hope for. I'm sure his memory could come back, with more care."

"What if it doesn't?" Karasu choked out. He went all day without crying, why did he have to break down now?

Yoko nodded and rested his chin to the man's back. "He will... he's just still recovering. And even if he doesn't remember, you'll still be there for him, and he'll know that. All you can do is your best, Karasu. Everything will be fine... and everyone here in the castle will help."

He didn't want to say it, but the thought of Hiena going anywhere near his father made the raven's heart slow to a stop from fear. She'd probably feed the man poison or something.

As soon as he thought it, Karasu felt guilty over his musings, and sighed into the bed sheets. "... I'm sorry, Yoko."

"Hmm? For what?" He chuckled, his massive tail raising itself into the air. "For getting upset? Karasu, I'm not going to fault you for that. You've done so much, and I barely even thanked you for it. I should be saying sorry, not you." His furry muzzle turned up into a smile, and he gave Karasu an affectionate chomp on the shoulder. The man snickered weakly and tried to push him away. "And I should also say thank you. For everything. The castle looks amazing, Hiena really seems to like me, and I'm actually glad that I finally had a bath. Even though you were veeeery cross with me." he stuck out his tongue.

The raven couldn't help but laugh at the funny, furry face. Just like that, all the worry about his father, his aggravation with Hiena, his headaches from Larry; all of it washed away because of that goofy fox. The laugh died down and he just smiled. "Sorry about that." He shyly brushed a dark strand of hair from his face and looked down to the floor. He held the mirthful grin, unaware that the king was closely watching him.

Yoko lifted his head a little higher. _Karasu laughed..._ And not one of those "you're such an idiot" laughs. A real one, with that eye-sparkle and everything! The fox swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. Karasu was actually... very beautiful when he laughed.

_Not like a girl, but... oh whatever, he's beautiful!_ The fox gave an amorous sigh, and rested his head to the sheets. "Pretty..."

"Hmm?" The raven looked back at him. "What's pretty?"

"Erm... uh, it's... getting... pretty late in the day, don't you think? And we do have guests. Maybe we should all have dinner? Together?"

And just as quick as it vanished, Karasu's annoyance with Hiena cropped right back up. The smile died, and he rose to his feet. "Alright... I'll make sure everyone is comfortable in their room, then alert the staff. Stay here until I come to get you."

The fox lowered his ears in shame. He could tell that Karasu was upset, but before he could question the man about it, the raven slipped out of the door and left him there, alone.

o o o

"Oh, this is SUCH a pleasure!" Hiena's mother clasped her hands together. Her family was seated around the large dining table, at the end close to Yoko's tent. This said tent was much more glorified than it was for the king and Hiena's date, and the fox was currently concealed underneath it.

Karasu stood at the bungalow's entrance, determined to protect his fox from any unwanted intruders. He didn't trust the two brothers, what were their names? Yusuke and Kuwabara, that's right. He didn't like how the two kept pointing at the curtain and sniggering. Heaven forbid they get any bright ideas...

For some reason, Kuronue wasn't seated at the table. Instead, he stood behind his mother, dressed in similar attire as Karasu. Similar, meaning, the poor boy was dressed as the hired help. Did his family really think that little of him?

Karasu frowned at the thought.

"I'm so glad my little boogie bear has met herself a nice, proper man~"- The woman, what was her name again? Right, Ruka. -Lady Ruka smiled and looked expectantly towards the tent. "Have either of you spoken about marriage, yet?"

"Mother!" Hiena blushed and tried to hide her face. Karasu noted that Kuronue shook his head, his violet eyes reading, "Is this chick serious?"

The raven turned himself from the slew of newcomers and peeked into the tent. Yoko was frozen in slight fear. Karasu excused himself, then slipped inside of the safety veil. He lowered his voice while reaching for the fox's chin. "Yoko? Are you alright?"

The king snapped from his daze, his ears lowered. "N-no... I haven't asked Hiena yet... should I? It's not too soon?"

_WAY too soon_, the raven thought, but offered the creature a comforting smile instead. "The faster you marry, the faster this curse will be broken."

"But she doesn't even... s-she doesn't know what I look like! And what if we have to kiss to break the spell? H-how will I kiss her? Would she have to kiss me? I-I don't even know!"

"Shh!" Karasu tried to clamp the beast's mouth shut. He looked through the curtain to be sure no-one overheard, then back to the fox. "Look, we'll just show her. She can't freak out that bad after she's gotten to know you, right? Besides, you're a king for crying out loud. She wouldn't dare leave."

"What... does me being a king have to do with it...?" The fox looked at him, slight confusion in his eyes.

"... Ab... solutely nothing." His friend lied, and softly petted the beast's fur. "Nothing at all. But still, she has already spoken with you. Do you really think she would leave now?"

"Hmmnn. I suppose not," Yoko admitted. His large tail brushed over the floor. "... So I should ask her?"

"Well, not right now, that would be weird. But you should show her what you look like first. It seems rude to ask from a tent, right?" At least, Karasu thought it was rude. He surely wouldn't want to marry someone that asked from behind a curtain, rich or not.

The fox lowered his head and thought for a moment. He looked up with a short nod. "I'll show her, but not right now. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a plan." Karasu smiled and gave the beast a light pat on the head before he slipped back out of the tent. The conversation had already moved on during their hushed debate, and onto a topic that Karasu really didn't care for.

"So! I wonder if our handsome king likes to dance?"

"Mother!"

"Oh come now, darling, it is a perfectly justified question." Ruka smiled and rested her hands to the table. "King Yoko, yoo hoo~ You're still there, right? You and my daughter should dance together. That won't be a problem will it? We could throw a nice big family ball! I already told our whole tree about meeting you here, and they were anxious to visit! I hope you don't mind, I think they said they would arrive tomorrow, possibly the next day?"

Karasu stared at her, then shook his head. "I'm afraid King Yoko cannot—"

"Could Karasu dance in my stead?"

The raven's heart stopped. What?

The fox continued, purring lowly. "I'm still... a bit too nervous. You could have the ball if you like, but for the moment could Karasu replace me as her dance partner? I... have two left feet, and I'm not very good with crowds."

Ruka raised a brow, but laughed. "A king that shies away from people? Oh, how cute. Darling, what do you think?"

Hiena smiled, but Karasu could easily tell that he and she both had the same thought: The idea was HORRIBLE. "Well..." she began, and lazily pushed around the food on her plate with a fork. "I would much rather have you, Sir Yoko..."

Karasu heard a deep, amorous sigh from inside of the tent. "I know, and I would much rather you dance with me as well, but... could you please? I'm not much of a dancer, I'm sure Karasu will be more than happy to take my place."

Happy? The fox thought he would be HAPPY with this? Karasu closed his eyes and took a calming breath. The two idiotic brothers sniggered to each other, and Kuronue gave the raven a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. Karasu looked at him, then offered a meek smile. "Well, if that is what the king wants... Lady Hiena, I will do my best to appear as kingly as possible." He looked back at her, and was shocked to see a smirk on her lips.

"Well. Alright then." She moved the napkin from her lap. "Looks like we all have a ball to prepare for."

o o o

"I HATE you," Karasu growled. It was the day after their little dinner party, and some guests were already arriving as Ruka said. They planned to have the ball the following day, after everyone had a chance to rest. He was seated at the large vanity in Yoko's room, and glared over to the silver, fluffy mound on the bed. "Have I told you that lately?"

Yoko whined and lowered his head. "Karasu, please. You heard her, she already invited guests."

"DANCING. You should be paying me for all this crap! Clean the castle, yes, hook you up with a girl, fine, but dancing with the aggravating bitc—"

"Karasu!" The fox growled threateningly.

"... The aggravatingly "beautiful" girl, no thank you." With a mournful sigh, Karasu leaned against the vanity and dropped his head back to stare in the mirror. "You're lucky I even know how to dance. But what are you going to do when they start asking me why my hair is black and not silver? Or why my eyes are violet and not gold? Or did you not think of that?"

"Oh," Yoko squirmed a bit on the bed, and chuckled meekly. "I, uh... did think of that. And... made arrangements."

Karasu frowned and lifted his head to look at the fox. Before he could question what, there was a knock at the door. Yukina, the head maid, called out softly from the other side. "King Yoko? You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, come on in!"

Karasu's heart dropped in fear and he jumped to his feet. "No! Don't come in! He's not feeling well! He's-"

The raven tried to block the door, but Yukina pushed on through and offered a smile to the fox, as if he were any normal human. "I brought everything you asked for." She slipped past Karasu and carried a large basket to the fox king.

The raven was stunned. Surely she could see that Yoko was a giant beast and not the handsome king from his painting. He slowly closed the door back and gave Yoko a questioning stare.

Yoko just turned his furry lips up in an awkward smirk and offered his paw to the girl. "She saw me when Hiena and I had tea in the garden. I forgot to tell you, I'm sorry. Yukina's been very nice to me, and she agreed to take over a lot of your chores so you won't be too stressed."

The girl smiled and took out a pair of scissors. "He also asked me to fix you up with a disguise for the ball."

The raven wasn't sure if he felt relieved or worried that someone else in the castle knew Yoko's secret. Less chores would be nice, but... he was starting to like being needed by the fox king. Aside from the ball, of course. That was just absolutely, without a doubt the most. . .

o o o

". . . stupid idea EVER." Karasu sighed, and placed a hand over his face. It was finally the night of the ball, and Yoko had him in the most uncomfortable throne, with the most awkward and itchy wig that he had ever had the horror of trying on. What bothered him most was that instead of being fake, the hair was cut from Yoko's own person.

Annoyed, the raven pinched a bit of the silver hair between his fingers, then dropped it back to his shoulders. Unfortunately, Yoko's fur was not long enough to create a full, lengthy wig. Instead, Yukina settled with it being shoulder length, and just told Karasu to pass it off as a haircut to impress Hiena.

_Right, impress Hiena. As if dancing with the witch isn't more than annoying enough to do for her_, Karasu growled lightly, and looked down to his wardrobe. So much damn white and silver. Not to mention the horrible weight on his head and chest from Yoko's crown and his other assortments.

Despite all of these discomforts, the man went along with his "job," and greeted any and every individual he could. Yukina couldn't do anything to change his eye color, but thankfully everyone in the room was more intent on looking at the "real" life king, instead of his painting.

Well, it was fortunate for the trick, but Karasu really wished they would look away. Their stares were unnerving.

Even his own father wandered down from his sick bed to join the party, and the man really was quite the charmer. He entertained many of the girls with his love stories of Karasu's mother, and, although it pained him horribly to hear the stories again, the raven couldn't help but feel grateful. If the women stayed by his father, they would much less-likely crowd the false king and tug on his arm for a dance.

Kuronue stood next to him, which was quite a good bit of comfort. Since Karasu was obligated to play dress-up, his new friend opted to take over the position of personal servant for the night. Admittedly, Karasu had a few instances where he wanted to order his gothic friend around, but dismissed the idea each time. Kuronue was probably grateful for that, since he already had to deal with the demands from his immediate family.

Ugh. That ANNOYING family!

Yusuke and Kuwabara were on the prowl, trying to court any and every girl that they met. It didn't bother them that most of the girls were related, which Karasu guessed was a reason to their odd nature in the first place. Years of inbreeding, anyone?

Their mother was even worse. As soon as she heard about a marriage-related male that was left alone by his wife, the woman ran over faster than you could say, "have a Scooby Snack." Kuronue and Karasu both scowled at her behavior, but neither of them were in a real position to say anything. Sure, Karasu was "King," but sometimes even the most powerful men can't control the urges of a woman.

At least Hiena wasn't AS bad as she could be. The girl was in her element, greeting and laughing the night away. She couldn't go an hour, it seemed, without yammering someone's ear off about how happy she was with her lovely king.

. . . In a lovely castle. With lovely clothes. And lovely jewelry. With lovely food. And lovely servants. In a lovely forest. With her lovely king.

Oh, and did she mention the how lovely her life was, (compared to theirs)?

Just checking.

The raven sighed heavily through his nose and glanced up to the clock. He wondered when he could actually move from his throne, when Hiena paced over to greet him. She smiled as sweetly as she could, and offered her hand. Reluctantly, the boy took hold of it and allowed himself to be guided away from the posh chair.

She snuck him away from the crowd, behind several curtains that lined the room, and pulled him close to whisper, "We're going to have to dance, you know. Try not to mess up?"

Karasu scowled. "I know how to dance, lady Hiena. I'm not as simple as you think I am."

The girl frowned at that, and let go of his wrist. "This was not MY idea, you know. Mother suggested it, and King Yoko said that you should take his place. It's not MY fault he doesn't want to dance with me." Her voice faltered a bit, so she turned away from him and swept outside of the room towards the balcony.

With a silent groan, the man followed her. "Hiena, it's not that he doesn't want to dance with you, trust me the idiot does."

"Oh? Then why won't he even let me see him?" She huffed, and folded her arms. "Are you playing a trick on me? Does King Yoko even really exist?"

"Well SOMEONE has to own this stupid castle." Karasu rolled his eyes. Who would be lame enough to make up a fake king? Heck, who could be RICH enough? "He's just shy. I told you that."

"You told me that he was so handsome he couldn't stand to be seen in public."

"Same difference!" He growled, and pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. He took a calming breath, then continued, "Hiena... you WILL see him tonight. I'll make him show himself to you, okay?"

The woman's cherry-colored lips parted into a smile. "... you promise?"

He nodded. "Yes, you'll get to see him, but for now, can we just do this ball thing and dance already? No kissing, though," he added quickly, and held up his hands in defense.

She laughed, and took hold of his hands. "Deal!"

Before he knew it, the man was pulled out onto the marble ballroom floor. Hiena was pressed close to him, and her belled, light blue dress fanned out around their legs. The volume of her gown caused him to stumble a bit, but soon the crow found himself gliding smoothly across the floor, his fake girlfriend in his arms.

Naturally, all of the guests turned to smile at them. The poor fools actually thought the two were in love. Well, Yoko and Hiena might be, but Karasu found himself trying to bite back protests from just having to hold onto her.

Hiena seemed to be having the same issue. She fixed Karasu with a slightly troubled stare, and then closed her eyes. Once he was out of her sight, her shoulders relaxed and she nearly melted into the false king's arms.

The man resisted his urge to pull away, and instead let his own eyes fall closed. He assumed that Hiena was trying to block him out, and picture the real Yoko in his stead. That wasn't such a bad idea, really. He could almost see it; the king, restored to his human form with the black-haired beauty in his arms. The two were dancing, much like they were now, and Yoko's golden eyes were filled to the brim with joy.

As Karasu led Hiena into a twirl, he imagined how Yoko may have done it. He tried to place the grin from the king's beast form to his human face. When he did, the raven couldn't help but smile to himself. Such a goofball that king was.

His mind trailed off, to recount all the memories he had at the castle with the beast. He placed Yoko's human form in the same situations the fox had been through, such as being curled up in the snow and frightened by the maids. When Karasu pictured an embarrassed scowl on the king's face, he laughed aloud.

Hiena looked up, startled from her own daydream. With Karasu's eyes closed, it was much easier to picture him as the real Yoko. At that thought, she tightened her hold on Karasu's slim fingers, and moved her other hand to his shoulder.

The action was innocent enough, but the motion caused Karasu's mind to revert back to his original vision of the couple dancing together. Only... he noticed something very odd. Instead of Yoko waltzing with Hiena, the dark-haired dance partner was actually taller, and wearing a black suit instead of the blue gown...

His chest tightened, and the raven slowly pulled to a stop. Why would he picture himself with Yoko? That... wouldn't happen. It was too odd.

All the same... the Yoko in his vision smiled to him, and leaned in closer. A soft, pale hand brushed the hair from over his ear, and the fox king's smooth lips moved closer to the raven's own. Before he could protest, the dark-haired male found himself caught up in a soft, heart-fluttering kiss. Those lips felt so real, and warm, he never wanted them to be pulled away. Without a further thought, he moved his arms around the dream Yoko's thin form, drawing the silver male into a deeper liplock.

That was odd, though... The king wouldn't be THAT curvy... And he seemed shorter than he would be...

A collective gasp around the ballroom jarred Karasu from his thoughts. He was so absorbed in his fantasies that he found himself not kissing Yoko, but instead had his lips to Hiena's cherry-coated ones. Startled, he quickly pulled away and pressed a hand to his mouth. He kissed Hiena!

The man's heart sank as he watched the girl lean back with a smile. He prayed that Yoko did not see, but even if he didn't the fox would know sooner or later. He kissed the girl Yoko loved, and what's worse, he imagined the king when he did it!

Karasu barely looked at the guests around the room before he pulled away to disappear through the crowd. He heard Yusuke and Kuwabara laughing in the distance, but paid them no mind. He didn't even stop when Kuronue asked him if he was okay, and just swept from the ballroom in a panic.

The only thing that he could hope for was that the fox wouldn't be mad at him. But how could he explain a kiss like that? How could he tell the fox that he might... possibly...

o o o

"HE LOVES HIM!" Hione shouted, and jumped up and down on the bed. "Kara loves Yokooo~"

Kurisha blushed, and hugged her stuffed fox closer. "T-tha's so cute, dad!"

Karasu smiled, and grabbed Hione from the air to lay her back down. "Yeah? You like it so far?"

"I kind of like this one myself," Kurama piqued from his seat on the bed. He wandered into the room around the time where "King Yoko" pounced the raven in the library. Of course, he saw how aggravated the raven was in the story and just had to listen to more. "Although you are pressed for time. Thirty more minutes, Karasu, and the girls need to sleep."

The twins groaned, Karasu along with them. "Fiiiineee." He sighed, and tapped his chin. "Now... how to start it up again... oh, okay!"

-*~^~*- End of Part Two -*~^~*-


	3. Cliffhanger Conclusion

-*~^~*- Beauty and the Beast -*~^~*-

-*~^~*- Conclusion -*~^~*-

"... You... what?" The large fox stared down at Karasu, obvious feelings of betrayal in his eyes. The two were in the garden, where Karasu found the beast to confront him. However, the cheerful flowers and pale snow certainly didn't make their moods lighter.

Karasu tried to ignore the painful tug in his stomach, and slowly pulled the silver wig from his head. He evaded the fox's stare, but could still feel it burning a hole through him. The first thought he had was to tell the fox that he kissed Hiena, but he didn't expect to feel such a horrible heartache from it. A small voice tried to egg him into saying what –really- happened, but he silenced it with a guilty swallow. Instead, he repeated, "I... I kissed... Hiena. And... she kissed me back."

The fox king dragged a paw over the snow to turn and look at Karasu more clearly. The servant winced, worried that the creature might attack him.

The beast took a deep, angered breath. "How could you? You know how I feel about-"

Thankfully, the beginning of Yoko's scolding was cut off by a yell from the distance, one from the girl they were arguing over. She came rushing towards them in the night, and Yoko darted behind a rose bush to hide himself. "Karasu! Wait!"

The man turned to greet her, suddenly feeling much colder in the temperature-less snow. "W... what is it, lady Hiena?"

She smiled, and stopped next to him. "Well! That kiss was certainly something, wasn't it? Who knew you were such a charmer."

Karasu bit his lip when he heard a low growl emanate from the rose bush. "H... Hiena, about that..."

"Oh, don't worry!" She waved her hands to silence him. "I don't care if you like me, I mean you're cute and all but I know you work for the king and you don't want to take me from him, so that's why you looked so guilty. It's okay! Besides, everyone else thought it was a kiss between me and Yoko. Well, besides my mom and brothers, and... y'know, some servants."

Hesitantly, the raven nodded. He decided to go with the lie, since the truth behind the passion in his kiss would have just messed things up more. He stood there in silence for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Hiena... I said that I would show you King Yoko tonight."

"You what?" Yoko yelped in protest, startling the girl.

Karasu just continued, and took Hiena's hand to show her to the bush. "I lied when I said the king had a girl before. The truth is, he was just cursed."

"Karasu, stop it!" Yoko tried to retreat, but the raven reached out and grabbed a handful of his fur before he could. He still tried to tug away, but all it did was pull both persons closer to his beastly form. The two humans stumbled from Yoko trying to pull away, and Karasu held the woman to keep her from falling into the snow.

"... This is Yoko." Karasu looked Hiena in the face, his hand still firmly holding the other male's coat. "He's the one you've been speaking with, and the one you love... The one that owns this castle, and the one you... SHOULD have kissed..."

The girl's eyes widened, and she placed both hands over her mouth. Yoko tried again to pull away, but Karasu gave his fur a warning tug. Hiena jumped a little at Yoko's movement, and stepped back from him. "Y-you're..."

The beasts' ears flattened in shame. " ... I'm...?"

At the sound of his familiar voice, the girl slowly removed her hands and let them fall to her sides. "You're... so..."

The fox whined, and dropped his head to the snow. "I'm so ugly, I know..."

"... Fluffy."

Karasu sighed in relief, and his kingly friend blinked. "Fluffy? That's all you want to say?"

She shrugged, and forced an awkward smile. "I must say I didn't expect this. I knew something was wrong, but... this is... really different." She lightly brushed her hands over her dress, as if she was unsure if she should reach out to the fox.

Karasu saw this, and cleared his throat. "He's clean. And very soft, so you can hold him."

Without a further thought, the girl smiled and stepped close to press herself into the beast's fur. Yoko froze at the contact. He was obviously not used to this treatment from anyone other than Karasu. When Hiena began to smooth out his silken coat, he relaxed and allowed an odd grin to come to his lips.

Karasu's worries melted away, but only slightly. A small, disapproving look from Yoko only confirmed his doubts and caused them to swell again. Even though he was able to have Hiena, the fox still didn't forgive the raven for kissing her. It was all written in those golden eyes, and Karasu nodded in understanding. He bowed his head, and turned to leave the two in the garden. There was really no other use for him...

. o . o . o .

The next day was rather busy, and slightly weighed down the raven's already sore heart. After the two lovers met in the garden, they returned inside and announced Yoko's true state to the entire family. Something that came with it, of course, was also their proclamation of his and Hiena's marriage. Karasu wasn't sure if it was the fact that Yoko didn't need him anymore, or his sudden realization that he loved the beast that upset him most.

_You knew this would happen. Hell, you wanted to get them together_, the raven tried to convince himself that it was really his own fault. He shouldn't have let himself get so close to the beast, and set himself up for his own failure.

One thing was for certain, he had no intention of telling the fox his true feelings. Even when Yoko confronted him in the middle of the afternoon, he insisted that he kissed the girl because he liked her, and didn't mention his thoughts of the fox while doing so.

The king broke ties with him then and there, and swept away before Karasu could reply.

Since that moment, the crow locked himself away in his and his father's room. Millian was no-where to be found, and Karasu just assumed that since his father had recovered that the man took his own leave to get away from the crowd. He understood that, and almost wished he could do the same.

Sakyo spent most of his time wandering the castle, and very often ran into Yoko to talk with him. He still couldn't remember that Karasu was his son, but he was bent and determined to patch up his and the beast's odd friendship. So far, it wasn't working.

Yoko, of course, could now freely roam the castle wherever he pleased. He still caused a bit of alarm to some maids and guests, but they quickly brushed their fears away and greeted him as if he were normal.

Karasu wasn't sure if he was happy about that, either.

Kuronue, the sweet boy, he was the only one, other than his father, that came to visit Karasu. He brought him several snacks and treats to try and make the raven smile, but Karasu just remained in his bed, holding his knees for comfort. His friend's patience wore thin, however, when three days passed and the raven still barely moved.

"This has got to stop, Karasu!" The man slammed down a tray of cakes onto the nightstand by Karasu's bed, and fixed him with a scowl. "Get the heck out of this bed!"

The raven blinked. At first he just stayed still, but then slowly moved his feet off of the bed to stand.

"Good!" Kuronue huffed. "Now stop moping! We're going for a walk in the garden, and you're going to tell me what's wrong. Get dressed!"

Karasu did as he was told, and soon the pair were out the castle and in among the roses. The man felt a bit happier at the sight of the flowers, but still drug his feet in the snow.

Kuronue watched him a moment, then reached out and took hold of his hand. "Now. Tell me everything. And don't you dare try and lie to me like you have been, because I know you'd much rather punch Hiena than kiss her!"

The other man had such a demanding, motherly air, that Karasu finally caved to his wishes and told him everything. When he came to where Yoko had broken their friendship, his voice faltered and he closed his eyes.

His friend sighed, and soothingly brushed his thumb over Karasu's hand. "... You could have told me sooner. Karasu, what are you going to do? The wedding is in two days!"

"Nothing," he instantly replied, and shook his head. "I won't do anything. I mean... he loves Hiena. It isn't about what I want, it's about him and his curse. He wants Hiena, so I have to support him. Even if... it means that I have to back down and watch them get married."

"Huh! If you ask me, you two would be a better pair! But, what do I know?" Kuronue sighed, and placed a comforting arm around the other man's shoulders.

The two continued on, trailing through the garden for nearly an hour before they finally stopped to return to the castle. What the two males didn't notice, however, was that wherever the raven passed the snow melted from the flowers, in a much larger radius than they had before.

. o . o . o .

"I saw the two of you together, Kuronue," Hiena called over from her seat at the vanity in her room. She was trying on possible pieces of jewelry to wear during her wedding, and her brother was nervously gathering dirty dishes and clothes. The two of them were alone, which unnerved the man. "What were you talking about?"

Kuronue frowned, and tried to look busy organizing teacups. "Nothing really. He just doesn't feel well."

"Aww, the poor darling~" She smiled, and unclipped the current necklace from her neck to try another. "I honestly didn't expect him to kiss me like that! He was so cute and flustered from it, the sweet Angel~ I admit I did try to seduce him, just a little, but he seemed so seriously gay."

Her brother scowled. Don't talk about his friend that way, you witch!

Of course, she didn't notice the expression, and continued. "I hear Yoko stopped being friends with him because of it. That's probably for the best, they seemed too close for my taste. Is there a reason for that?" She turned her mirror so that she could see the man more clearly.

Kuronue just shook his head, his voice wavering. He was horrible at telling lies. "Uh... no. He just... he was friends with Yoko, y'know? He wanted to keep him safe. But, apparently, you all think a giant fox is cool... so... he's upset cause he's not really needed anymore, y'know?" He closed his eyes with a silent curse. Why would he hint that Karasu felt helpless without Yoko's attention?

Hiena caught onto the truth, and paled a bit. So Karasu DID like tending to Yoko, and being needed by him? Or maybe... he even liked Yoko?

Her cheeks went from light, to red, and she got to her feet. "... Well then. I think I need to go see my hubby."

Before he could stop her, the girl swept out from the room to find Yoko. He groaned, and covered his face. Nothing good ever came from gossip!

. o . o . o .

"I think this one goes here," Sakyo pointed down to a five-hundred pieced jigsaw puzzle, and then to an individual part. "See, all the blue?"

"I got it..." Karasu picked up the piece and snapped it in place, then smiled a bit when his father nudged him. They were getting along so much better today, almost as if they were father and son again. For once, he wasn't bothered with his thoughts of Yoko hating him. The talk with Kuronue really helped that, and his father had been so kind and gentle with him. This day was much better than the rest, surely.

Unfortunately, the mirth didn't last long.

They heard a knock at the door, and the older man called out "come in," before grabbing another puzzle piece. Yukina entered, although she looked a bit wary.

Karasu blinked up at her, and waved for her to come closer. "Hey, Yukina. How's everything?"

She disregarded his motion, and stayed still at the door. She gave him a pitying stare, almost on the verge of tears. "... You have to leave. Lady Hiena and Mister Yoko... said they don't want you, or Mister Sakyo here for their wedding. I-I'm so sorry, Karasu!"

The raven's heart sank, and he dropped a puzzle piece to the table. Yoko... didn't want him there anymore? Was it because of the kiss? He knew the fox didn't want to be friends, but he didn't want Karasu to be there at all?

While Karasu was more internal with his shock, Sakyo was much more active. He lept from the bed, and went over towards the door. Yukina squeaked and backed away, but Sakyo continued on. A few curses were heard as the man marched away to find Yoko, and give the beast a good talking to. Yukina closed the door and followed him, leaving Karasu alone in the room.

The man sat there for quite some time, unsure what to do in reaction to his dismissal. Finally, he slipped from the bed and wordlessly began to pack his and Sakyo's belongings. He said that he would do whatever the king needed him to, and if Yoko needed him gone then... so be it.

. o . o . o .

It wasn't long before Karasu and Sakyo had themselves outside and loading down a carriage with their luggage. Karasu attached Angel, as well as the black stallion to the buggy, and softly petted their coats. At least Hiena was "nice enough" to let them take the stallion.

Angel seemed grateful, too. The mare tossed back her mane with an appreciative stomp, then rubbed her head against the stallion's neck. The larger horse whinnied, and shyly turned his head away from the affection.

Karasu grinned, and patted her shoulder. "Hey, don't flirt in front of me. I might get jealous."

Sakyo looked over at him, then up to the horses. "Honestly, Karasu. I don't see how you can be so good natured about this! That stupid mongrel of a beast! You did all you could to help him, and look at us! Sent away like some common servants."

"In reality, that was all I was." Karasu glided his hands over the horses' large bellies one more time, then stepped over to help his father. "I was just helping him to get the girl. And now he has her. So I'm done. Besides, you woke up, so... there's no more reason to stay."

"I still cannot thank you enough for being so kind to me, young man! You really are a wonder." Sakyo smiled, and took hold of Karasu's shoulders.

Karasu tried not to let him see how much the statement pained him. It was normal for a son to care for his father, but Sakyo only saw him as a manservant. Eventually, Sakyo removed his hands with a smile, and gestured towards the cart. The two broke away, and finished loading all of their belongings onto the carriage.

Kuronue watched them from above, just outside of Yoko's room. The sight of Karasu being sent away pained him, he knew that the raven did not deserve this. All because of one dumb kiss that was given to the wrong person. He scowled, and turned to shove open the king's door. "You're a frickin idiot!"

Hiena, who was currently in the room with her hubby to be, looked up at him in shock. "Kuronue! Bite your tongue!"

"Shove it, Hiena." The man swept over to the bed, completely ignoring his sister as she stood to stop him, and glared up at the beast. Yoko tried to back away, which was a comical sight, considering his large size compared to Kuronue's. "How DARE you send him off like that? All the hell he went through to get you and Hiena together, and you DISMISS him?"

The fox nervously glanced between Hiena and her brother, keeping as far from the man as he could. "But... Karasu kissed—"

"WHO THE HELL CARES!" Kuronue hissed, and jumped up to stand on the bed. "That's hardly a reason to break your friendship over something as stupid as a kiss from Hiena!"

"Stupid?" Hiena scowled, but once again her sibling ignored her.

"Forget it! I'm not staying here to serve a witch and her sickening, ugly, non-appreciative RAT. I'm leaving with Karasu!" He turned away and stormed out of the door.

Yoko stared after him, obviously surprised by the outburst. The fox lowered his head down to the bed, suddenly upset. "I... I didn't tell him to leave... he said he wanted to..." Apparently, someone did not get the memo of his dismissing Karasu. Now who could have said it, then?

Hiena smiled, and leaned over to pet his nose. "Oh honey, it will be fine. I guess it just would have broken his heart to see me get married. Y'know? But tomorrow it won't matter! You and I will be married, and this little curse will be broken." She roughly patted him on the head, and stood straight again. "Now you get some rest! We have a veeeeery big day tomorrow!"

The beast watched her as she left, but her words did nothing to lift his spirits. He honestly wished that the raven would have stayed. He couldn't imagine going through with the wedding without him. Yes, he was mad because Karasu kissed Hiena, but he didn't really want him to leave... he and the girl debated on it, but Yoko could have sworn he decided not to send Karasu away.

A light click from across the room broke him from his thoughts, and he looked up to see Yukina peeking through the doorway. She looked troubled, as if she had done something wrong. "Mister Yoko... I... I need to tell you something..."

. o . o . o .

"Ahh, this place is just as beautiful as I imagined it to be!" Sakyo smiled lovingly to a humble cottage, overgrown with rose bushes and other cheerful flora. He still could not remember that he had actually been to the cabin before, and had become a married man at the very steps he stood on.

"Yeah, it really is!" Kuronue smiled warmly, and opened the door for the man. The three were all the way at the opposite side of the forest, far from Yoko's castle. It was nice to be in a setting that was not clouded with snow, but it was still somehow just as depressing. It probably would remain that way, if Sakyo did not recover.

Karasu watched as Kuronue helped his father before he finally forced his gaze away. He looked out among the rose bushes, flowers so lovingly planted by his mother and grandmother years before he was born. He stepped away from the light glow of a lit candle from inside, and instead went into the garden. The sun had already begun to set, and the garden practically glowed in the golden light. Odd enough... it also seemed to be snowing.

The raven stopped, and held out his hand. When the snow touched his skin it wasn't cold, and melted almost instantly.

"Karasu..."

The man turned, and found himself staring at Yoko. The beast looked exhausted, and the snow around him seemed much less heavy than it should have been. "... Yoko?"

The fox gave a tired smile and stepped forward. Before he even made it ten feet, he dropped to the ground with a pained growl.

"Yoko!" Karasu rushed over and sat beside the fox king, taking his muzzle into his hands. "Yoko, what's wrong? Why aren't you at the castle with Hiena?"

The fox snorted, and allowed his ears to droop. "... I left her. Turns out... she really was a horrible person... Yukina told me everything..."

The raven chuckled. He knew he could rely on sweet Yukina. "Well, I could have told you that."

"Then why didn't you?" The fox looked up at him, his golden eyes clouded with emotion. "Why?"

Karasu stared back for a moment, then lightly trailed his hand over the beast's furry cheek. He answered calmly, as if it was nothing really important. "Because... I love you, and I knew that you loved her. So... it wasn't my place."

One of the fox's ears twitched, and he raised them both in interest. "... You what?"

His former servant frowned and rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot, really... you knew I didn't like Hiena that much, so why would you even think that I would want to KISS her? I only did it because I thought..." He paused, and lowered his gaze. "... I was thinking of you. As cheesy, and annoying as it is to admit... I love you."

The king closed his eyes with a light, pleased purr. Secretly, he already knew because Yukina had told him, but it was much nicer to hear a confession of love from the man's own lips. "Even though I'm a stupid giant fox?"

Karasu just leaned down and brushed those lips over the creature's nose. The fox blinked at him in surprise, but then allowed his eyes to fall closed again to enjoy the kiss. When the raven tried to pull away, Yoko just raised his nose even higher, eager for another.

The man smiled, and amorously trailed his hands over the fur at Yoko's neck. "You love me too, then?"

Without hesitation, the fox nodded. "Yeah, I think I do... Guess this curse won't be broken, then... At least I don't think? I mean you're not a girl..." He sighed and curled up slightly. "Ugh... and I feel horrible... I've been away from the castle too long..."

Karasu's smile fell, and he tried to turn Yoko's face back towards him. "Is... is that why you're so weak?"

"I... I think so..." He shuddered, and curled in on himself once more until he was nothing but a giant fluffball, and the raven panicked when he couldn't find the creature's face.

"Yoko! Yoko this isn't funny...!" He felt at the fur, then quickly withdrew his hands with a horrified gasp. The beast wasn't breathing at all.

Just when he was about to call for Kuronue and Sakyo, the furry pile moved and surprised him. He jumped to his feet as a thin, human hand reached out for him. The hand extended into an arm, and it lazily slid over the grass in an attempt to find something to grasp onto. "Y-yoko?"

"Hnng.." The large pelt composed of what used to be the beast folded back, and the mentioned king crawled from under it, gasping for air. "S-so... warm..." He panted a bit, not yet noticing that he had transformed back into his human self.

Well... ALMOST human.

Karasu stared at the top of the man's head, where two silver fox ears stood erect. His jaw slowly dropped in awe, and he fell back down to his knees. Yoko looked up at him with a curious stare, still unaware of his transformation. Without bothering to explain, Karasu just reached out and grabbed both of his ears, feeling them with his fingertips. For some reason they were much more appealing on the human Yoko, than with the king as a giant fox.

He smiled when the fox-human scrunched up his nose and tried to pull away. He released his ears and instead tangled his hands into the king's long silver hair. "Yoko, look." He drew the tresses out in front of the man's face and glided his hands over the silken hair until it bowed back to the ground.

The king's golden eyes locked onto the hair, and he reached out for it. He then glanced down to his bare chest and placed both of his palms against his torso in amazement. "I... I'm..."

"Pretty good-looking, considering the ears." Karasu tried his hardest not to grin, and pointed towards the animal ears atop of Yoko's head.

The man frowned in confusion, then reached up to feel for what caught Karasu's attention. When he found them he paled and tried to pull the ears into his line of sight to observe them. "W-what the hell!"

"And... that." The raven gestured to Yoko's backside where a long, silver fox tail laid over the ground.

When Yoko saw it he nearly had a conniption. "WHAT THE F—"

Karasu covered his mouth to keep from laughing, and watched the grown, naked man try to chase his own tail. After a few moments he finally reached over and grabbed for the king's arm. He pulled the other man close and tapped a finger to his nose, like an owner would to their pet. "Now stop that, you look fine."

Yoko's cheeks turned red, and his ears lowered in embarrassment. "The whole point of breaking the curse was to look HUMAN again... not like some... some... crossbreed thing!"

The raven's smile widened and he shook his head. He leaned closer, and just before his lips touched the other man's he whispered, "I think you look very, very handsome."

. o . o . o .

The present-time Karasu raised both of his hands in defeat. "And that, my dear little girls, is Beauty and the Beast, dad's version."

His redhead partner rolled his eyes with a grin. "Yes, I must say it WAS cute..."

"WAIT, WAIT!" Kurisha squeaked, and waved her little arms high. "No, dad you forgot Sakyo! What about Sakyo!"

"Yeah!" Hione huffed, and smacked Karasu in the knee with a pillow.

The raven blinked, then gasped. "Oh, I guess I did forget. Kisses distract me, you know? Hmm... Right, Sakyo and Kuronue..."

.o . o . o .

Kuronue watched the two lovers from inside of the cabin with a light smile. He was a bit envious of the two, but much more thankful that they were finally together. He sighed blissfully, and turned to see Sakyo just behind him. He jumped slightly in shock, then laughed and gestured to the window. "Take a look."

Sakyo leaned in and peeked through the glass. His shoulders relaxed and he uttered a cry of delight. "Finally! I always knew my boy went for men."

Kuronue's lips widened into a smirk. "And I knew you were faking it. That really was a cruel joke you played."

"Oh, it wasn't a joke. Not in the beginning, I really couldn't remember a thing about him." The man turned to look at Kuronue, a bit of guilt swelling in his chest. "And you told me that all this mess was happening... I hoped that if I continued to be unstable that we could stay longer, but I guess your sister was not up for housing guests that were out to take her king."

The smaller man nodded, and leaned back to rest his hips against the windowpane. He looked over his shoulder at the two lovers and watched as Karasu wrapped the beast's former fur around him as a shawl. "I suppose this means the king will live with us, then?"

Sakyo arched an eyebrow in interest. "Oh? You are going to stay with us, too?"

Kuronue lowered his gaze with a shy smile. "... Couldn't hurt, I guess... I mean, Karasu will be busy caring for Yoko, so you might need some company. Besides, he said you were pretty ill before you came here, so..."

The other man stared at him, then chuckled. "Yes, I suppose I could use company... So... how long WILL you stay?" He slowly reached out and brushed the other man's hair behind his ear.

Kuronue's cheeks flushed slightly when Sakyo's fingers touched his cheek. He looked up at him, still smiling. "As long as you... and you know, Karasu... as long as you both need me."

With a little laugh, the man leaned in and pressed his forehead gently to Kuronue's. "That will be for a very, very, VERY long time, then..."

. o . o . o .

"There. THAT is how it ends," Karasu grinned proudly as he tucked both of his girls into bed.

Kurama helped him, and kissed Kurisha lightly on the cheek as Karasu tended to Hione. "Now, you've both had your story, so it's time to rest." There was a hint of annoyance in the statement, and Karasu tensed a little when he heard it.

The raven gave a nervous smile and kissed Hione on her forehead. "Uh oh, looks like mommy wants to attack daddy." The girl giggled tiredly and he switched places with Kurama to give Kurisha a kiss on the forehead as well.

Kurama went silent, and softly petted Hione's hair before he turned to leave the room. Karasu followed just behind him and they both looked back at their babes.

Two pairs of tired eyes stared back at them, and Kurisha yawned, "Love you." Hione nodded in agreement and mimicked her sister's yawn.

Kurama smiled to them, and turned off the light. He took hold of Karasu's hand and quickly led him from the room and guided him towards their own. Karasu blinked in confusion, but Kurama stayed quiet until they reached their bedroom and he ushered the raven inside.

The raven-haired male's confused frown turned upward into an amused smirk. "Oh-ho? Tonight is one of those nights, eh? Well fine, but I'm on top—"

Kurama rolled his eyes and locked the door. "Not THAT. We need to talk."

The smirk dropped, and his partner groaned. "What, really? Awwman, this'll be the second week..." The man grumped, and sat himself onto the bed with dismay. "Alright, fine. What is it?"

"Don't sound so enthused," Kurama muttered lowly. He seemed distracted, which was odd for someone who was usually so calm and collected. The redhead opened his mouth to say something, but only a nervous whimper slipped out.

"Hey hey, calm down..." Karasu's heart twisted a little and he took hold of the other male's hands. Kurama only acted this way when the conversation was about—

"He's coming home, Karasu."

- And there it is.

The raven frowned. "No."

Kurama squared his jaw, and lifted his head higher in defiance. "Karasu, I want him to come home. This is... this is ridiculous. I don't think I can take this anymore. He will have been gone three years next week, Karasu. Three. YEARS. I. Want. Him. HOME."

The raven paled and leaned away as the redhead advanced on him with a more raised and angered tone. How could he refuse such a demanding person? He honestly wondered if Kurama would resort to killing him to get what he wanted. As fun as another fight would be, Karasu rather liked his life how it was.

But... maybe one creepy, long overdue addition to the family couldn't hurt.

He sighed and closed his eyes. "... Alright. Alright. Kuron can come home."

Kurama searched the raven's face for any sign of deception, then heaved a grateful sigh. He cupped both of his hands to his husband's face, allowing a smile to finally reach his lips. "... Thank you. I promise, I will take full responsibility for him and any harmful actions he may commit."

Karasu closed his eyes and shook his head. Kurama may have the upper hand as far as instructing Kuron to behave... but him having "responsibility" wasn't the issue. Karasu was more worried that he held a higher influence on the boy, since the child did hold more of the dark male's genetics instead of the half-demon's.

Well... what was the worst that could happen?

-*~^~*- Beauty and the Beast ~ The End -*~^~*-

Sorry if the ending is messy. OTL I've had a loooot of things on my mind, lately.

This one was pretty much longer than the other. A Forgive me. I just love the Beauty and the Beast story! But don't worry, the others won't be this long. I hope.

After this, any of the stories I do in this series will be in one, continuing story composed of several chapters. :3

At first I just wanted to do fairytales and cute stuff, but then I got to where I wanted to move towards another plot, where it would show how Kurama and Karasu came to be together, and why the raven is so nice, and why in the world they have kids.

Trust me; it was NOT MPREG. Kurama didn't get knocked up, and neither did Karasu. Lol

So! After this, all the fairy-tales will be in chapters with the real story in between, and I will announce when a new chapter is added on my DeviantART account, found here; .com/

Toot-a-looo~


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